A Different Life
by Sonamyluver718
Summary: Amy Rose used to be normal...but she doesn't remember that life. The moment she awakes is the moment that a new life starts for her. A life that she wants so badly to be as normal as the first. But little does she know that she has a purpose to fulfill: one that will make her choose between the boy she loves and the boy she once knew.
1. Prologue

**I am a terrible person, I know. I know that I should be finishing MITD but I kind of got a better plot with this story. It's all outlined and I really am planning to finish it - eventually. So, read it and yell at me later ^.^**

**All characters belong to Sega except my OCs. **

**Prologue**

I'd never thought about what my last words would be. I'd never thought about what I'd say to my parents if I were to stare at them and know that this was possibly the last time I would see them. I'd never thought about what I'd do when my last day came upon me. If anything, I tried so hard not to think about any of that. I always tried to keep hope alive. Hope for a better day – hope for _another _day. Even now, as I lay here curled up in my closet, I still had hope. I had hope that my parents would make it out of this house alive. I had hope that our neighbors would get help for us. I had hope that our attackers may give us mercy.

_Knock Knock _

A casual banging began to surface at my bedroom door, causing me to press my palm tighter against my mouth. My father had told me to run upstairs, lock the doors, hide, and don't make a sound. He'd always been good at knowing what to do in horrifying situations – he'd fought in the war so of course he had to know. I don't think he ever wanted to put that certain skill back to work though. From the sound of the news that dreadful morning of the raid, I could see in his eyes the fear and desperation that he must've held in the war. But not just for himself anymore – for his family. He had tried so hard to keep us safe and now…now only God knows what had happened. Another tear fell down my face at the thought of what those monsters could've done to my parents. Due the deadly silence in my room, I could hear all that was going on around the house. I had heard the destruction of furniture, the screams of agony, and the almost quiet whispers of our attackers. I tried hard not to mentally picture what was going on but I found it difficult not to. They were destroying everything – that was a known fact.

My breath got caught in my throat as I heard my door slowly creak open. I pressed my hand hard against my mouth as my body tensed up in its position. I listened intently as soft footsteps slowly entered my room. "Amy," I heard his taunting voice say. "Amy… Come out, come out wherever you are." The casual sound of his voice reminded me of an older, peaceful time. My mind flashed back to my little seven year old self as I ran across the grass in my big backyard to the big oak tree to hide behind. Another tear slid down my face as the nostalgia and sadness of the simple time washed over me. Times had always been happy…so why now was everything turning so somber? "I'm going to find you sooner or later," he continued to sing. "And when I do…we can play…"

My other hand clenched down on the gun that had grown heavy as I waited here…anticipating my death. My father had given the gun to me before he sent me up to hide. He tried to convince me that it would buy me some time to run away or to distract them. He tried to give me some type of fighting chance against these…these monsters. But we all knew that there was no fighting chance against them. We were all doomed the second they broke into our home.

The footsteps that had been circling the perimeter of my room stopped suddenly – right in front of my closet door. I quietly moved my fingers around the trigger of the gun as I pressed my hand harder against my mouth. I mentally sent a plea to whatever upper power was deemed to lie in the sky. I begged for forgiveness and peace and no pain. I begged for my parent's entrance into a better life – for all of the lost souls' entrance into the power's mercy. I begged that he would go away…that he would leave me alone…that I would survive.

I didn't even have time to sign my name on my silent plea before I suddenly heard my closet door get ripped off its hinges. My eyes widened as I stared at the open space, his tall silhouette standing in the middle of it. I thanked God that my closet was big enough so that I could curl up into the side. I also thanked God that it was messy and therefore I could shield myself from being seen. Hopefully, he would be blinded by the overwhelming scent of perfume on my clothes and wouldn't be able to find me back here. Hopefully, he wouldn't look this way at all.

From my view in the corner, I could see his glowing ruby eyes analyzing the interior of my closet. The sight of them evoked more than just fear into my stomach. I'd never believed that there were true monsters in this world. I'd always thought that it was a bunch of bologna and cheese. There was no such thing as vampires or werewolves or witches or any of that. On that dreadful day with the news playing on our television, portraying the chaos that had come upon the world, I was in for more than just a reality check. I held my breath as his rubies slowly turned their gaze in my direction. "I know you're in here," he sang. "Come out; come out, before I drag you out." My finger tightened on the gun trigger as his glowing rubies scrutinized the darkness. I swear my stomach dropped as our eyes connected and the shadow of a wicked smile appeared on his lips. "There you are."

I didn't have time to react before I felt his cold hands grab my ankles and whip me out onto my wooden floor. The whole course of the action had happened in maybe less than a second, leaving me both stunned and caught off guard. Luckily, my hand didn't lose the gun. I quickly turned off of my stomach to sit up and point the gun up at him. I managed to pull the trigger before he could even take a step towards me. The bullet hit him right in his chest but as expected, it didn't hurt him. He didn't even seem stunned at the attack. If anything, he seemed amused. "Ah, someone really wants to play, hmm," he mused. He took another step towards me, his wicked smile growing. I pulled the trigger again and again and again as I scooted backwards towards the door. None of the bullets affected him. He merely ignored them and resumed stalking closer to me. Once I was out of bullets, I glanced back to see that I was right near the doorway. Without thinking, I jumped up from the floor and made a lunge for the hallway.

I couldn't even finish my step before strong hands grabbed my waist and I was flung onto my bed. "Naughty girl," he sang as I heard the door slam shut. "Now where do you think you were going?" I turned over to see that he was hovering over the side of my bed now, his head cocked slightly on an angle. In a nanosecond, he was on top of me. His cold hands were pinning my wrists down over my head, his long legs straddling my hips. His head hovered over mine, our faces inches apart. His rubies were analyzing my emeralds, anxiously waiting for me to say something more to entertain whatever little game he thought we were playing. The light of the moon hit the side of his face, emphasizing the beauty that he always had. Tears brimmed my eyes as I looked up into his blood lust glazed eyes and remembered the care free ice blue ones that once were present there.

"Please," I murmured. "Please don't do this."

"Don't do what, Amy," he sang my name cautiously. He dropped his head down lower so that our lips brushed as he spoke. "What don't you want me to do?" A shiver ran down my spine at the feel of his soft, cold lips. If circumstances were different, the shiver might've been due to something other than fear. If circumstances were different, then this would have been an actual game and we both would be enjoying it. We'd both be laughing, teasing each other, fighting back the butterflies from how close we were against each other... But circumstances weren't different.

"Don't kill me," I whimpered. One of his cold hand slid down my slim arm, sending trickles of a cold sensation behind. His hand lightly touched my cheek, caressing it softly. For a moment, his ruby eyes softened.

"Oh Ames…" he whispered. "Think of how beautiful all will be once this is over. Once I do what I want…"

"Please," I murmured again as a tear fell down my eye. "Please don't…don't hurt me." He moved his head over so his cold lips now trailed against the side of my jaw. My breath hitched in my throat as I felt his sharp teeth lightly graze my skin. "Scourge please…"

"Hmm, you smell so good," he whispered as his nose fell into my neck and he inhaled deeply. "I wonder if your blood tastes as good."

"Scourge, stop! Please stop! We're best friends, remember? You don't want to hurt me. You promised that you would never hurt me."

"In a past life I did," he murmured against the skin on my neck. "But this is a new era, Amy; old promises are long expired." His surprisingly warm tongue flicked out at my neck and I felt another tear roll down my cheek. "Just close your eyes," he purred. "I promise to be as quick as I can." He slowly picked his head up, his rubies reinforcing his command. I stared up at his beautiful face for a moment before I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. I was never good with death. The subject always scared me. Yet, here I am, looking death dead in the eye and opening my welcoming arms to it. I heard him chuckle deeply. "I'll see you soon, my love," he whispered seductively into my ear. I didn't have time for a thought before I felt a strong pinch of my neck and red spots began to fill the darkness behind my lids. I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head as my soul slipped away from my body. I was guessing that death was taking me as one of its own; lulling me into its depths gently. Slowly, yet all at once I fell into its velvet black hole. My eyes somehow found the strength to crack open one last time in hopes to see something peaceful or blissful to remind me of this world. Instead, I saw his rubies again. The glowing irises were sad yet proud as a sharp toothed, bloody smile came upon his lips. Another shiver went down my spine before my eyes closed again and I was consumed completely by the darkness.

**To continue or not to continue...? Oh and I did make an account on FictionPress in which this story is one there with the exception of different names in case you guys see anything**


	2. Who Am I?

**Okay, so I've gotten comments about my old stories and I'm sorry to say but I'm not exactly sure if I will be continuing them. I've developed a new writing style where I actually write out the whole story before I write out so that it will actually get finished but I am working on continuing.**

**All Characters belong to Sega except my OCs. **

**Chapter 1: Who Am I?**

Darkness has never been thought of to be an inviting presence. I guess that's why I found myself questioning the peace and serenity I'd found in the darkness. The darkness welcomed me, comforted me, nurtured me...became a part of me. I was coming to the point where I believed that the darkness was my good friend - my best friend even. The darkness had become my strongest confidant. I never thought that I would have to leave the darkness behind with the thought that I may never be able to enter it again. I didn't want to leave the darkness - I didn't want to leave my peaceful sanctuary. Not when I didn't know what lay beyond that point.

At first sight of the slight light peeking through to my soul, I found myself afraid and hesitant. When I left the darkness, I knew that I wouldn't be the same. Somehow I knew that when the darkness left me, I might lose myself. If only I'd known what part of myself. Then maybe I wouldn't have gone when the darkness gave me the gentle nudge to go. The nudge was similar of that to a mother bird urging her baby birds to fly out of the nest...to spread their wings. But, I was a stubborn little bird. I was frightened and unwilling to do what I knew was right. Yet, the darkness pushed me out to the light anyway. It pushed me into a bright sensation of colors that blinded my eyes and made my skin tingle. I felt myself go through the transition from the darkness to light as well as I felt my body leave behind important parts of my soul behind in the darkness. I couldn't look back though. The light made me fly through time and seemingly space until I finally landed back in what I assumed was the present.

As consciousness swam over me, I could feel the warmth that my body had taken from the soft fabrics around it. Under my back I could feel a soft cushion that stretched down from behind the top of my head to the bottom of my ankles. Obviously I was lying in a warm, comfortable bed which should mean that I was somewhere safe. But where? The moment the darkness let me go, my mind went blank. Now, I couldn't remember who I was or where I was or how I got here. All I knew was that I was lying in a warm, comfortable bed in a supposedly safe place.

I forced my eyelids to lift up so that I could at least see my environment. The first thing that came into view was a white wall staring down at me. I blinked, realizing that it was a ceiling. Slowly, I moved my arms up to either side of me and forced myself up. My arms felt like jelly as they moved. I thought my elbows were going to melt from my weight as I lifted myself up to sit back against the headboard of the bed. Once I was sitting up, I took closer notice of my surroundings. The room in which I was in was set up much like any other teenage girl's room, I guess. Aside from the bed there was a desk that had a new computer laying atop it, a bookshelf that was partially filled, a vanity dresser, two big dressers, and a closet. At the sight of the closet, I felt a shiver go down my spine yet I wasn't sure why. Did I have a bad experience in a closet or something?

I looked down at my hands that I noticed were shaking slightly. I was surprised to see how long and elegant my fingers looked. My fingernails seemed to be perfectly manicured besides the fact that they weren't polished. My skin had a light, almost smooth caramel complexion. My forearm and my arm were pretty slim from what I could see which surprised me even more. Had I always been this slim?

Cautiously, I slipped my legs from under the covers and swung them over the edge of the bed. I noticed that my body was clothed in a long, baggy tee that covered all of me down to my lower thigh. I tested my feet's strength on the black carpeted floor, making sure that I wouldn't fall. Thankfully, my legs did better with lifting up my weight as I stood than my arms did. I wobbled for a moment before balancing myself. I stood there for a moment, making sure that I was stable. I didn't want to fall right back down onto the bed. I took a small step, testing my balance. I wobbled a bit once more but after a few more baby steps I could feel myself adjusting to the movement. Slowly, I walked over to the mirror on the vanity dresser. I was curious to see as to what I looked like. Yes, it sounds stupid that I couldn't even remember what I looked like but the fact scared me. How could I not remember my own appearance?

The girl I saw in the mirror, when I finally stood there in front of it, was absolutely beautiful. She had mildly wide but elegantly angled eyes that housed bright emerald green eyes, small nose, high cheekbones, perfectly arched eyebrows, plump naturally red lips, long curled eyelashes, and long waterfalls of thick, pink hair. Her face reminded me of a sweet but feisty lioness. The look fit with her creamy caramel complexion and petite body. The girl had noticeable curves as well. Her more than just perky chest was outlined by the tee as well as her flat stomach, wide hips, small waist, and thick thighs. I took chance to turn around to see the girl also had more than just a good bit of junk in her trunk. I blushed deeply as I continued to stare at the girl in the mirror. She blushed along with me, a gleam of admiration in her eyes. Her emerald irises were asking the same question that I was asking in my head. Was this really me?

I flinched lightly as the loud sound of music hit my ears. I hadn't noticed the music before but now I couldn't help but to. Although I guessed the music was from the lower level of what I was assuming was a house, I could hear the music so clearly that it might as well have been coming from a stereo next to me. Aside from the music that was no blasting in my ears, I could hear the soft sounds of a woman's giggle and a man's deep voice. The woman's laughs were soft, bashful while the man's voice was smooth and playfully seductive. I couldn't exactly tune into what he was saying since he seemed to be talking lowly but I could tell that it must've been something romantic since the woman continued to giggle at him.

I turned away from the beautiful girl in the mirror to look towards the closed door. I took my time walking up to the door, keeping my ears on the sounds that the two people downstairs were making. I may not have memories but I do have common sense. I didn't want to walk into something that I might regret interrupting. That would be both embarrassing on my part as well as the two new people downstairs. I didn't detect any sounds of anything more than giggling and sweet talking going on downstairs so I continued on to put my hand on the doorknob. My fingers curled against the golden knob as I turned it slowly. I admit that I was expecting for the door to be locked for some reason. I'm not quite sure why but I will also admit that I was relieved when the door opened without any problems.

I moved out in the long hallway and noticed that the flight of stairs was right next to the room I had been in. I slowly walked down the steps, holding on tightly to the railing to make sure that I wouldn't tumble down the carpeted steps. As I reached the lower level of what I was sure was a house, I noticed that most of the house was carpeted in a warm, thick fur like textured material. From the bottom of the stairway, I could see into what I guessed was the living room. The room was large with a golden carpet, long carpets that covered the large windows, dark brown furniture, chestnut coffee table, and the huge flat screen TV that was lined up against the wall. I stared it an awe for a moment before the woman's giggling once again caught my attention. The sound came from the direction in which the hallway was leading down to.

I hopped down from the small step ledge and continued to walk down the carpeted hallway into what I guessed was a kitchen. I didn't have much time to look over it since my eyes were trained on the beautiful people dancing before me. The man was spinning the woman around in his arms as he murmured small jokes to her, causing her to laugh. The man himself was incredibly handsome with his dark red wavy hair, elegantly sharp facial structure, and dark green eyes. The man seemed to be tall, muscular, and intimidating. Although he was smiling in adoration at the woman he was dancing with, a part of me felt as if I should be afraid of him. The woman held the same aura about her but I felt less afraid for some reason. Maybe because her warm face gave me a motherly impression. The woman was also petite with big hazel eyes, and long white blonde hair. She didn't seem as if she could do much damage to someone unless she was pretty angry with them.

The couple stopped dancing as soon as they noticed me standing there in the doorway. Both of their eyes had widened as they stared at me. "Oh my…why you're…you're awake," the woman said softly, her voice sweet like honey. "Hello," she said as she took a step towards me. I opened my mouth to speak when I realized that my throat was as dry as the Sahara desert. My throat was also as hot as the sun beating down on that desert. Then it hit me...the awful pain that was ringing in my throat. The sensation was so sudden and too strong for me to bear all at once. My legs went out from under me and I found myself falling down to the floor. Before I could hit the ground, though, the woman caught me in her slender arms. I wasn't sure how she got up to me so quickly but I did know that I was grateful that she caught me. I did not need a headache to go along with this burning in my throat.

"Richard, please hurry and get me a bottle," the woman said as she glanced back in the direction of the man she was once dancing with. Her hazel eyes then went back to me and she smiled softly. "Shh there, sweetie, you're going to be okay," she cooed to me. The man – Richard – came up next to her holding a water bottle full of red liquid. The woman balanced me in her one arm as she took the bottle from him and held it to my lips.

The substance tasted sweet as the flavor of it exploded on my taste buds. It reminded me of fruit punch or a Shirley temple or some strawberry alcohol drink. The liquid did taste good – very good. However, there was a strange subtle taste to the drink that made me think that I wasn't consuming juice or even alcohol. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what the strange taste was like or anything though. All I knew was that the peculiar taste was the one thing that made the liquid so appealing. As I drank, the fire in my throat started to seize and I felt my body earn some of the strength that I'm guessing it didn't have before. I drank down the liquid quicker than I meant to; the bottle was empty before I could really even truly enjoy the new hydration it was giving me. The woman holding me eased the bottle away from my lips, her warm hazel eyes staring down at me softly. The soft look lasted for a moment before we both heard the soft growl of my stomach. Now that the fire in my throat was gone, I noticed that I was starving.

The woman's eyebrows crinkled together in confusion as she looked back at Richard who had been watching us intently. He must've also heard the low noise since he looked confused as well. Richard met the woman's eyes and shrugged his shoulders lightly. The woman looked back to me, her face now etched with concern. "Are you hungry," she asked. I nodded. Hungry wasn't the word to describe what I was feeling. I felt as if I could eat everything in this kitchen and still not be completely full.

The woman helped me to stand and led me to a table that was against the wall. I noticed that this kitchen was fairly large with cabinets, wooden floor, a woodstove oven, a sleek stove, brown counters and a big white refrigerator. I could only imagine how big the actual house was altogether since all of the rooms were so large. The couple must have a lot of money to afford all of this. Were they rich?

Richard sat down across from me at the table, his dark green eyes curious. I glanced at the woman to see that she was rummaging through the refrigerator. Who were these people? Why were they being so kind and caring towards me? Were they my parents or something? "How are you feeling," Richard asked me, his deep but smooth voice jolting me from my thoughts.

"Fine," I murmured. My voice was soft and melodic. I was surprised at how pretty I thought it was. Then again, I was still surprised at how beautiful I was. Was I always a goddess looking creature? "I feel a bit better than I did before. Maybe I'll feel even better once I get some food in my stomach." I paused for a moment, glancing back and forth between Richard and the woman. "I'm sorry but who are you exactly?" Richard raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You don't know who we are," he asked. He tilted his head at me. "Do you remember anything? Anything at all?"

"Not really," I blushed sheepishly. "I…I'm guessing I had a pretty hard fall or something." I smiled stupidly, trying to lighten the mood. Richard stared at me for another moment, his eyes scrutinizing me cautiously.

"Interesting," he murmured.

"Here you are sweetheart," the woman said as she set down a freshly made sandwich in front of me. I looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you," I told her. The woman returned the smile before taking a seat next to Richard across from me. I picked up the sandwich and took a big bite out of it. The familiar taste of meat, cheese, and mayonnaise on my tongue relaxed my senses a little bit. The food had has eased a bit of the hunger that was going on in my stomach. The couple didn't speak as they watched me stuff the sandwich down my throat. I felt awkward sitting there so I kept my eyes down and tried to eat as quickly as I could. Once I was finally done, the woman slid another bottle of the red liquid I was drinking before across the table to me. I drank down half of the bottle eagerly, anxious to feel more rejuvenation and energy fill my body.

"Do you know your name," the woman asked. I shook my head, blushing in embarrassment. The woman smiled softly. "Amelia. Amelia Eleanor Rose. But we call you Amy."

"Amy," I repeated, the name feeling a bit familiar on my lips. The woman nodded.

"My name is Amber and this is my husband Richard. We're…we're your parents."

"My parents," I repeated with a soft nod. "I understand. Um, why don't I remember anything…mom? Did I fall or have an accident or something?" My…parents exchanged another worried glance. My stomach started to twist at the sight of all their confusion. Obviously, whatever I was going through wasn't normal. That meant that something was wrong here. But what?

"Amy, do you believe in vampires," my father asked cautiously. I blinked as I tried to rack my empty brain. Did I believe in vampires? I mean, what was a vampire?

"I…I'm not quite sure. Um, what exactly is a vampire?" I blushed deeply as I spoke, embarrassment running over my body. My...parents exchanged a confused but almost humorous look.

"Vampires are...mythical creatures per to say. They are the undead - alive but still dead. They are mostly known for drinking blood and causing chaos," my father explained. I nodded slowly as I tried to wrap my head around what he said.

"Are they dangerous?" I asked.

"They can be."

"I'll throw on Twilight later for her so that she can see," my mother said with a small smile. My father rolled his eyes at her.

"That's not the interpretation of a vampire that I think we need her to understand," he told her.

"What's Twilight?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. My mom smiled wider.

"Oh you'll see," she said. My father rolled his eyes at her again, shaking his head lightly.

"Back to the point, they are very real, Amy. They're not some fictional creature that only exists in movies. In fact, you're…we are all vampires."

"What," I asked. My question came out louder than I expected but my parents didn't seem to mind. In fact, they seemed prepared to take on my confusion and shock. That seemed to be the only thing that they were prepared for. The man sighed as he continued to stare at me.

"Yes. About 20 years ago, a huge vampire clan attacked the town that we all once lived in and…and some of them attacked our home. They transformed all of us except you…you've been in some type of coma since the venom entered your system. Usually, the venom only keeps the victim unconscious until the full transformation has taken place which only lasts about a week or two. But you, Amy, you've been unconscious for the past 20 years."

"We were so afraid that you were never going to wake up," my mother said as she reached out to grab my hand and give it a tight squeeze.

"I…I don't remember being attacked or…" I murmured.

"I'm guessing that it might be a side effect of being unconscious for such a long period of time. Your brain must not have taken very well to the venom," my father said. He glanced down at the watch that he was wearing on his wrist. "I'm sorry, but I have to get to work. We will talk more about this when I get back." He got up from his seat and kissed my mother on the top of her head. I was surprised when he walked around the table to me and gave me a similar peck on the crown of my head. "I'm very glad that you're finally awake," he said as he offered me a soft smile. I returned the smile before he walked out of the kitchen.

"You don't look very surprised," my mother said as I turned my attention back to her. "I was expecting you to be flipping tables and yelling about how vampires aren't real."

"I don't have any memories of how life used to be," I said with a soft shrug. " And I also don't really understand what vampires are. From what you both have said, they don't seem to be all that bad. So, there's nothing I can really do except accept the new life that's coming for me. If that life is the way of a vampire then I have no other choice but to accept and live it to the fullest that I can." The woman smiled as she nodded proudly.

"That's a good way to look at it." She held a finger. "Follow me. I have some photo albums that you may want to look at." We both got up from our seats at the table and I followed the woman into the huge living room. She motioned for me to sit on the big, comfortable couch while she walked to the corner where there were big binders under a lamp table. She grabbed a couple of the binders and walked back to sit next to me on the couch. She handed me the first pink binder from the top that had my name printed on it.

The binder turned out to be a big photo album documenting my old life. The first dozen or so of pictures was of me as a small baby. I was a small, pale, peanut looking thing with small hands and chubby legs. As the pictures went on, I could see the small peanut grow into the beautiful young girl I'd seen in the mirror. The last picture in the album was one of me and a beautiful boy. He had lightly tanned skin, striking ice blue eyes, a charming smile, green hair, and a muscular body that could be seen due to his shirtless torso. I was wearing a blue bikini with my pink hair pulled into a ponytail while the boy was in a pair of black swim trunks. We were posing nicely for the camera, our arms wrapped around each other's back and my hand on my hip. Behind us lay a beautiful beach and the clear sky. The picture was perfectly taken. However, despite the beautiful scene, I kept my eyes on the boy standing next to me. My hands unconsciously went to stroke the plastic that covered his face.

"Who is this," I asked my mother. I glanced at her to see that her mouth had tightened into a deep frown. I had noticed while I was flipping through the photos that this boy appeared often beside me, getting older alongside the small peanut of a girl. "Were we close?"

"Yes. Very close," my mother said solemnly. "But it would do you best not to think about him."

"Why not," I asked. "We were friends, weren't we?"

"Yes but…things are different now. I would just suggest that you not worry too much about him. Alright?"

"He didn't make it…did he?" The woman held my gaze as she shook her head slowly.

"No…no he didn't. I'm sorry, Amy."

"It's not your fault," I told her as I looked back down at the picture. "I just wish that I could have remembered him. He seemed like a nice guy." The woman said nothing in return as I closed the album and handed it back to her. "Mom, do you think…do you think that there's a chance that I might have a normal life again?"

"Of course, sweetie," my mother said with a smile. "Your father and I are going to try our hardest to make sure that you have a good life during our time here as well as a good life in all the towns we go to. We will protect you with our own lives. Remember that just because we're vampires doesn't mean that we aren't being threatened. You're going to learn there's a lot of risks that come with this life. But, you don't have to worry. Your father and I are here to make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"Thank you," I said as I embraced her. "Thank you for what you're going to do for me." My mother seemed surprised at my tight hug but she loosened up and wrapped her arms around me as well.

"You're quite welcome, sweetheart. Now, enough sappy talk. Let's turn on this Twilight movie and you can see a glimpse of what this new vampire life is about."

**This is under heavy revision so forgive me if some stuff doesn't sound right. Some things were added to make the dialogue sound better. But PLEASE REVIEW! **


	3. Adjustment Period

**Hello. I'm so sorry for being so unactive. I really have a lot on my plate with school and college coming up in the fall. I know you all have concerns about me not finishing my older stories and I'm sorry to say but I'm not positive whether they will be finished. This story here is going to be my main focus in terms of writing for a while because I do want to finish it and hopefully get it published sometime in the future. So, please be patient with me. I'm sorry that some stories may not get endings...**

**Chapter 2: Adjustment Period**

Twilight was…interesting. The movie was definitely not what I had expected it to be in terms of researching the new life that I would have to live. I could understand why my father had said that the movie version of vampires was not the interpretation that he thought I should understand. While all of the basics were there: the drinking of blood and the subtle chaos causing antics, I think that the move was glamourizing the situation a bit too much. Sure, the main vampire guy struggled with his blood cravings and everything but I wondered if life would really be that easy. Was it really possible for blood-thirsty vampires to live amongst humans and manage to control their all of their urges?

Aside from my doubts of how the vampires were portrayed, I found my teenage soul intrigued at the love story that was the main plot of the movie. As the movie went on, I felt my stomach filling with giant butterflies at the thought that someone may be able to love me the way that Edward did with Bella. I wondered if someone would look at me the way he looked at her – with admiration and devotion. I wondered if someone would kiss me the way he kissed her. Tender yet passionate. I wondered if someone would protect me the way he protected her; a handsome white knight always standing guard beside his beautiful princess. My cheeks turned red as the vivid image of me in a beautiful purple gown and the beautiful green-haired boy I'd seen in my photo album in a suit of shining armor standing in a secret, empty room in the castle filled my mind. Our eyes were filled with admiration, love, and unspoken loyalty. In that moment, I think he was telling me that he loved me as he stroked my subtly blushed cheeks.

I felt my own physical cheeks burn as the image practically engraved itself in my head. In that moment, I began to believe in fairy tales. I let my inchoate mind form the belief that one day a very handsome, charming knight in shining armor would sweep me off my feet and make me fall head over heels in love with him. My imagination began to wander towards a brighter, blissful side of life. In my mind, I found myself walking down a beach during a sunset, holding hands with my prince. I found myself sitting at a candlelit dinner across from my ice blue eyed prince, his orbs shining with love. I found myself falling in love…with someone whom I will never know.

I put my chin down into my knees as I let that thought sink in. The beautiful boy in my pictures…my mother said he hadn't made it. My only guess at what she meant by that statement was that he had died – or at least it was the guess that I wanted to believe. As I had flipped through the pictures earlier, of me and the boy with the ice blue eyes, I noticed the boy's charming, joyful smile. The expression always reached his eyes, causing them to shine bright with enthusiasm and happiness. In some of the pictures, he had been looking down at me with his eyes filled with strong admiration. The pictures showed clearly that he had hidden feelings for me – or expressive ones. While there weren't any pictures of us kissing or looking intimate, I didn't want to just assume that there was no type of special relationship between us. I wouldn't know if there was. I couldn't remember.

From the boy's smile, I could tell that he was a good guy. In my mind, I envisioned him as an outgoing, talkative city boy. He was the most handsome boy in school; the one with the charming smile and the athletic background. He was the one that every girl wanted but only had his eyes set on one: his best friend. I pictured myself next to him as we walked down the halls of the high school, smiling up at him as he babbled on about the most recent basketball game that he'd seen. Adoration lied in my emerald eyes but in my mind, I thought of how he would never realize the way I felt…or feel the same way for that matter. From walking down the halls of a school to walking down the wooden planks of a boardwalk, I pictured myself staring up at the beautiful boy next to me. He was always talking, that wonderful, award worthy smile on his face. I briefly wondered what he was talking about as his face filled my mind but I could never bring myself to give him an actual topic. I was too content with admiring his beauty.

As the small story in my head went on, the beautiful boy and his best friend slowly got closer and closer romantically until they finally kissed under a display of beautiful fireworks. A sigh escaped my physical lips as I forced myself to blink back into reality. While I knew that the story inside my head was way too good to be true, I liked believing that something similar may have happened in the past. From the gargantuan, genuine smiles in the pictures, I could tell that the beautiful boy made me very happy. If only I knew what had happened to him…

"What did you think," my mom asked, her soft voice jolting me out of my thoughts. I blinked back into the present as I snapped my head towards her. My mother was staring at me with her big, happily anxious hazel eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but then shut it again. What did I think of the movie? I had been too busy daydreaming about my own prince charming that I didn't even really take into account what I'd just watched. Instead of contemplating vampires, I was dreaming about finding my true love. I don't think that was exactly a good thing…

"It was good," I said with a soft nod. "I liked it." My mother's soft smile grew into a giddy grin.

"I'm glad. Maybe we can spend this week watching the rest of the series." I raised an eyebrow.

"There are more of these movies?"

"Yes. You didn't think that it just ended there did it?" I blushed deeply. My mind blurted out a huge "yes" but my mouth remained closed. I actually liked the ending with them dancing together. There was the promise of their love and commitment to each other lingering in the atmosphere. There was the sense that they lived happily ever after. I liked the simplicity of the happily ever after. I didn't really care to see any more of the obstacles they were going to have to face to be together. I just wanted to see their happy ending.

"Kind of," I admitted sheepishly. My mom laughed as she shook her head at me. I averted my eyes back down to floor as my mind drifted back to the blue eyed boy. I barely got to put the image of his face back into my mind before I felt my mother's soft hand caress the top of my head.

"What are you thinking about? You've been so quiet," she said as she continued to stroke my auburn waves.

"I was thinking about the boy…in my pictures." My mother's hand movements slowed down a bit on my head as a tense silence filled the room. Slowly, I looked back up at her. A small, worried frown lay on her face – an expression that reached her warm eyes. "I know that I shouldn't be prying but I'm just curious as to what happened to him."

"You still…you still feel something for him, don't you?" I nodded.

"I can't help but to think that we were close. I can't pin point if we were dating but-"

"No," my mother said abruptly. Her now serious, tense tone startled me. I blinked as I saw a flash of red run through her hazel eyes. The flash was only for a second but my sensitive eyes caught it perfectly. I also saw the sides of her mouth tighten slightly into an even deeper frown. This one didn't hold as much worry for my sake though. Instead, there was a certain type of anger and disgust that took over the expression. "The two of you never dated."

"Then what…what were we?" My mother held my curious, innocent gaze for a moment before she looked away. She sighed deeply as she did so.

"You two were best friends. His mother was my best friend and we so happened to have the both of you around the same time. As babies, you two were inseparable. Everywhere you went, he went and vice versa. The two of you were always there for each other…"

"Even when the vampires attacked?"

"Something like that," my mother replied simply.

"What happened to him, mom?" My mother opened her mouth and then closed it again. It was obvious that she was trying to find the right words to explain exactly what happened to my old friend – or she was trying to find a lie to cover up the ugly truth. "Is he dead?"

"No."

"So, he's alive?" My heart implicitly skipped a beat at the thought. In the back of mind, maybe the part that remembered, tons of images of us together began to form. They weren't fictional, unrealistic images like the one I'd had before. Instead, they were believable images of us huddled together, locked in a warm embrace, our lips pressed together in a sweet kiss…

"Something like that." She sighed before looking over at me, her big hazel eyes moist with worry. "Amy, you are so bright and so…so content. I don't want to bring on news that may upset you…not when you're so young into this life."

"Why would this news upset me? Does he not remember me either or something?"

"No…no, nothing like that. He remembers you… That's the problem." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion. I opened my mouth to push further for information but my mother suddenly got up from her seat. She smiled down at me as she held out her hand. "Come; I want to show you something." I grabbed onto her hand willingly and let her pull me up out of my seat. She led me down the long hallway on the first floor of the house into a small room in the very back. The room was hidden behind two chestnut doors that had small engravings of flowers on them. As I walked in behind my mother, I quickly noticed the abundance of books. The room was lined with shelves that held about a thousand different books. My heart fluttered at the sight as well as the musty smell of them. I let my mother's hand go to walk over to one of the shelves. My eyes scanned over the titles of the books, intrigued by their unique names. "You used to love to read," my mother said. I turned to her to see that she was smiling softly at me. "When you were younger, you never went anywhere without a book in your hand. You used to say that books were a means of escaping reality and entering a world that only existed in dreams. I'm not a big reader so I never really understood what you meant. I did, however, understand that books were a means of coping for you. Whenever you were upset or angry, you'd always just pick up a book and ignore the world. It was interesting."

"So, I was a book worm," I asked as blush crept up my cheeks. She nodded.

"Yup. You were also an aspiring writer." She pointed to the desk that I had totally neglected that sat in the back of the room. On the desk lay a thick stack of joint papers that made my heart flutter in relief. I walked over to the desk to examine the papers further. "It's a manuscript of a story you wrote before the attack happened. It's a complete book. I took the liberty of reading it while you were unconscious."

"How was it," I asked as I traced the title with my finger. The single word _Silhouette _lay under my fingers, the letters sending tingles through my finger as I traced them.

"It was very…interesting. You had a beautiful writing style. The themes of the book and the words blew me away."

"What was it about?"

"A lot of things. The main plot revolves around a girl named Melanie whose father is killed and she's forced to move in with her bipolar mother and schizophrenic brother. While living there, she falls in love – twice, she comes to form a relationship with her seemingly strange family, and she discovers herself. It sounds very abstract but when it's being told in the book, it's an absolutely beautiful story."

"Maybe I will read it someday." My mother nodded.

"You should. Maybe you'll surprise yourself." I looked up at my mother to see there was a nostalgic smile on her face.

"What was I like…when I was human?"

"Hmm…well, first, you were very intelligent. You were in the top 10 of your class, you were part of student council and you were well known. You were very friendly, very outgoing, very sweet, and very sassy. You had a smart mouth to you, that's for sure." My mother laughed softly. "But you were a good girl. You made your father and me very proud." I smiled.

"I hope that I can continue to make the two of you proud."

"I'm sure you will," my mother replied. My newly sensitive ears suddenly caught the sound of the front door creaking open. My head snapped towards the direction in which in came from. I waited expectantly for the footsteps to come and then for the familiar sound of my father's voice.

"Girls," he called. My mother grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. We walked back out to the huge living room. My father was sitting on the couch, pulling open the buttons on his shirt.

"Back already," my mother asked as a huge smile took over her lips. I watched as her eyes glimmered with adoration as she watched her husband continue to loosen up.

"Yea, there wasn't much to take care of at the office."

"I'm glad that you're home." My father looked up to my mother and offered her a smile as he got up. He ran up to her with inhuman speed before wrapping her up in his arms. She giggled as he pulled her close and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. I couldn't help but to smile at their interaction, my thoughts drifting back to the blue eyed boy in my pictures. The image of us kissing resurfaced in my mind, causing my cheeks to flash scarlet. My stomach tingled in embarrassment at the same time. I barely remember the boy yet I was already picturing us together. Then again, I don't think these were novel emotions. These were the emotions that managed to linger after my twenty-year coma.

"Amy," my father said, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I focused back in on my parents to see that they were both staring at me with inexpressible looks. "You should get dressed. I want to take you somewhere."

"Okay," I said unsurely. My mother gave me a reassuring smile as she wiggled out of my father's embrace. She grabbed my hand and led me up into my room. There, she dug out a pair of sweats, a tee shirt, and some sneakers for me. She helped me change into the outfit before bounding my hair up into a high ponytail. "Do you know where he's taking me," I asked.

"Up to the woods," she replied simply. "He's going to teach you how to hunt. Remember in the beginning of Twilight when he bit that deer?"

"Oh so we do have to feed off of animal blood?"

"Well, we don't. Your father and I have connections at the hospital so that we can get blood bags. However, we feel that it's good that you do learn how to hunt. Just in case we are running low and you're feeling thirsty. Then you can just find a nice animal to feed on." I frowned in the mirror. That didn't exactly sound too nice. However, the sound of blood did make my heart skip a beat. The memory of the energy and rejuvenation that the blood earlier had given me triggered a sort of excitement in me. My body couldn't wait to feel the same way again.

Once my mother was finished with my hair, I followed my father out to the front yard where a huge black car lay in the driveway next to three smaller cars. I opened my mouth to comment on who owned the cars but the answer was pretty obvious. Our house was the only one around so of course they all belonged to us. My father held the door to the jeep open for me and he helped me climb into the car. I hadn't noticed before how short I was before. Or maybe this car was just huge. Either way, I had some difficulty climbing up into the car as well as doing together the harness of a seatbelt. My father patiently helped me with the tasks before hopping into the driver's seat. He turned on the radio for some music that kept us company as we drove up to the woods behind our house. As we drove, I took interest in all the scenery around us. My sensitive eyes soaked in the tall, graceful trees, the small birds, the green grass, and the huge lake that the hill with which we stopped on overlooked. I stood on the hill for a while, staring down at the beautiful woodsy scene below us.

"Beautiful isn't it," my father said as he walked up beside me. I nodded.

"Very." We stayed silent for another moment before I spoke again. "When are we going to start hunting?"

"Such an eager young one, aren't you," my father said with a soft smile. "Close your eyes." I obeyed, closing my eyes so that I was enveloped back into the darkness. "Focus on your other senses – mostly your smell and touch." I once again did as I was told, clearing my mind so that I could my thoughts strictly towards those two senses. Once I did, I was bombarded by the sweet smell of the wilderness around me as well as the sounds of the animals that lived in these woods. "What do you hear? Concentrate on one sound in particular."

"A bird," I quickly said, the soft sound of wings flapping catching my attention. I heard my father chuckle lightly beside me.

"How about an animal that can easily catch? Try to think about the ground. What do you hear that's coming from the ground?" I took a deep breath, changing my ray of focus. Immediately, I was hit by the sound of soft hooves hitting the ground in a soft trot. Followed by the sound, my nose was hit by the soft smell of something sweet. Blood.

My eyes snapped open as my growing fangs caused friction between themselves and my regular teeth. My father smiled at me. "Go get him, girl," he told me. At his permission, I let my new instincts take over. My feet moved on their own in rapid speed towards the sound of the hooves trotting. My sensitive eyes looked yards ahead of me, searching for the animal that I was hearing. It wasn't pretty when I did find the poor little elk. I had to blink myself out of reality as I drained the animal of its delicious blood. Although I didn't like the actions I had to resort to, I did enjoy the reward. My father was proud of me for acting on my instincts and trusting myself. He said that acceptance always came easier when we opened ourselves up to what our new bodies wanted. I wish I had understood more of what he meant. I knew that I could never truly understand the transition since I have no memory of how life used to be but I could understand how to adjust into the life that I had to live.

My father and I began to go on weekly hunts together. He explained that it was to allow me to get used to my new abilities and come to use them more to my advantage. My mother occasionally went with us but usually she stayed behind. When I asked her about it, she explained that she wanted me to have some time alone with my father. Since I spent most of my days with her, I guess she figured that I could spend a couple hours a week solely with him. My time with her, however, was completely different than my time with him. When I was with my mother, we usually watched recent teen pop culture movies, read books, and she helped tutor me in academics. She helped me regain my math and grammar skills as well as made me read some history books. She really made sure that I was keeping up the GPA that I had before. I didn't mind though. I liked having busy days.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading my books though. My mother had gotten me an assortment of both classic and modern novels. I started from the classic ones first and then made my way up to the more modern ones. While I didn't really care for the science fiction or history fiction genres, I fell in love with mystery and romance novels. The mystery novels always held my interest and caused my mind to constantly think about what was going to happen next. I enjoyed spending lazy Sundays to curl up with a good mystery book. The romance novels were a whole different story however. I had to read those over time so that I could process and visualize the scenes in the book. At night, I would lie in my bed and fantasize about the events of the book happening in real life for me. I pondered over finding a mysterious, unnaturally hot boy and falling head over heels in love with him. Usually, I would try to visualize the boy as the one in the book but somehow the blue eyed boy from my pictures would arise in his place. I didn't really mind though. He was equally as fantastic in the role as the actual boys from the books. In fact, I think I liked him better as the main love interest in my mind. If only I knew where he was so he could the main love interest in real life…

The bypassing days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years. Before I knew it, I had read almost every book in my small library, I knew everything I needed to know in terms of academics, I was fluent in five different languages, and I was officially a master of my new abilities. In fact, I had gotten so good that my parents tested my thirst against humans. My mother had taken me out to a small supermarket to see how I did with restraining my thirst and I passed the test. Honestly, I hadn't thought it was hard to block out my thirst. The humans smelled good but not in a food kind of way. Instead, they all just smelled as if they were wearing distinctly different yet equally sweet smelling perfume or cologne. I wasn't sure if I had strong willpower or if the substitution of what the smell was restrained my thirst. Or maybe it was the fact that I still craved normal food that just wiped out all of my vampire blood thirsty senses. Either way, I passed the test to be able to be around humans.

As the years went on, I will admit that I started to become a bit lonely. I longed for someone other than my parents to talk to. I wanted some other type of communication from someone my own age. I wanted a friend. I managed to express that need to my parents and surprisingly they were able to come up with a solution in less than a week. The solution's name was Adrian. He was fifteen years old physically and biologically my younger brother. He was a handsome young boy with his emerald eyes, messy dark red hair, wide but elegantly angled eyes like mine, and a slightly chiseled body. He was an absolute mess when my parents brought him in. Blood and dirt covered his tattered clothes and caramel skin, his hair looked like a birds nest and his eyes were bright with an emotion I couldn't describe.

I had just gotten home from my new daily run around the woods when my parents brought him in. I had only been home for five minutes before my father and mother came inside, the boy struggling in my father's arms. "Let me go," he was yelling, his voice deeper than the normal fifteen year old. I took alarm to the hostility in his tone so I ran into the living room where my father was wrestling with the boy to keep him still.

"Amy, grab some blood for the boy, please," my mother said. The boy screamed in annoyance as he writhed so forcefully that both he and my father fell to the floor. My father moved quickly to put the boy in a headlock, keeping him at bay for a couple more minutes. I stared at the two as the boy continued to struggle.

"Is he alright," I asked, taking notice of his dirty and bloody attire.

"Yes but he needs some blood. Amy, please." The boy suddenly hissed, exposing his sharp fangs. My eyes widened as I backed away from him. His wild emerald eyes went to me, their acuteness catching my movement. Our eyes connected and the boy suddenly stopped moving. He kept his eyes on me, his mouth turning into a confused grimace. His eyebrows crinkled together as he tried to lunge towards me. My father held him back, tightening his grip.

"Ames," the boy said softly. "Ames, is that you," he asked, his voice dropping to one of a small child.

"Amelia," my father said sternly. "The bottle, please."

"Sorry," I murmured before running back into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of fresh human blood before running back out to the living room. The boy was writhing in my father's grasp again.

"What the hell did you do to my sister? Ames! Ames!" He yelled.

"I'm right here," I told him as I appeared in the doorway. His emerald eyes went to me and he went still once more. When he had said sister, I had seen a flash behind my eyes. It was a picture of the boy sitting at a desk with headphones on, tapping pencils against the desk in rhythm to the music. "I'm right here," I repeated as I stepped closer to him. I dropped down to the floor to crawl closer to him. I opened the bottle of blood and held it to his lips. He flinched away from it at first until he caught the sweet smell. Then he willingly let me put the drink to his lips. He drank quietly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he felt the energy that the blood supplied. When he was finished, I pulled the bottle away from his lips. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," he replied. I looked to my father.

"Dad," I said. "I think you can let him go now." My father seemed hesitant but he slowly let go of the boy. As soon as he was free, the boy lunged himself at me. His slightly muscular arms wrapped around me tightly, his hug knocking the breath out of me. Slowly, I let my arms come up around him as well. I gave him a soft squeeze as he curled into me.

"I thought you were dead," he murmured sadly into my shoulder. I ran a hand through his messy hair.

"No, I'm not dead."

"Thank God." He pulled out of our hug to look me in the eyes. "Where have you been all these years?"

"I've been here," I motioned to our environment. "It's safe here." The boy gave a suspicious glance at my parents who were watching us with caution. "Don't worry. They're good people. They've been taking care of me. I'm sure they're going to take good care of you too." He scoffed.

"That's what Scourge said," the boy said with disbelief. "Come on, we've got to get out of here. I don't know how far they followed me." He began to stand up, tugging me up with him. I crinkled my eyebrows together.

"They? Who's they? And who's Scourge?" The boy's eyes crinkled in confusion as he did he pull away from me a little.

"You don't remember who Scourge is," he asked. I shook my head.

"Honestly, I don't even remember who you are." His mouth made the shape of a small "o" as he stared at me for a moment. His emerald eyes analyzed me, pity rising in them.

"What the hell happened to you, Amy?"

"I wish I knew. I woke up with no recollection of my old life."

"Shit," the boy said suddenly. "That's not good. We've got to get out of here. We need to leave before they find us."

"They? Who's they? What's going on?"

"They," he nodded to my parents, "didn't tell you?" I shook my head. "Figures," he said bitterly.

"She doesn't have to know – not yet," my father said. The boy narrowed his eyes at him. "I know that you woke up to knowledge of your old life and into a rough beginning of your new one but you have to understand that we are only trying to protect her. Its better that she doesn't know what's going on. We also brought you here to keep you safe. We have full knowledge of everything and we know how to protect the two of you. You just need to trust us."

"The last time I trusted someone who was meant to protect me, they screwed me over. I think I'll pass on trusting you at the moment." My father nodded.

"I completely understand." He motioned to the stairway. "Come. Let's get you cleaned up and then we can seriously talk…in private." The boy squeezed my hand as he looked to me for reassurance.

"It's alright," I told him. He hesitated but slowly let go of my hand. My father began to lead him to the stairs before he suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look at me.

"My name's Adrian," he told me. "I'm your kid brother." He then continued to walk up the stairs. I watched him go, my heart sinking a bit as he left my sight. I had enjoyed holding him as if he were a small child. Somehow, it made me feel important. It made me feel as if I was needed.

"What happened to him," I asked my mother as I looked to her. She frowned, her hazel eyes going to the floor.

"Let's just say that he didn't have the same circumstances you did when coming into this life," she murmured.

"What was he talking about? He seemed so scared."

"Let's just say that there's an evil out there that we're going to be protecting you from. That's all you need to know. Okay?"

"Who's Scourge?"

"Scourge is…Scourge is the boy in the pictures. He was your best friend." I crinkled my eyebrows together.

"So what does this mean?" My mother frowned deeper.

"I wish I knew."

**Please review and tell me what you think! Your feedback is highly appreciated!**


	4. Familiar Faces

**Hello...**

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except for my OCs. **

**Chapter 3: Familiar Faces **

_Scourge, _I thought to myself as I stroked the picture in my photo album. The beautiful boy smiled back at me, his ice blue eyes shining with happiness. I closed my eyes as I felt a tear brim in one of them. My brother had obviously gone through something traumatizing from the look of how afraid he was earlier. From his words, I got the idea that Scourge had been with him. Adrian still hadn't come out from his talk with my father so I assumed that there was more to his story then what he had said to me. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly had happened to Adrian in the first place. I would think that he had woken up with Scourge and they might have with people who did them wrong. My heart felt a sharp pang of the thought of Scourge, the boy with the charming smile, could be in danger right now. My brother seemed to be running from something – or someone per to say. He kept saying "they". Who were "they"? An army? A couple of rogue vampires? Human hunters?

Back when my father had first taught me how to hunt and such, we had a discussion about human hunters. He informed me that they were dangerous – always armed and always ready to attack. He told me that they were hard to pick out since they usually didn't stand out against normal humans – or non-hunters per to say. The hunters didn't have any special powers or anything; they were as normal as humans come. The only difference was that they were usually trained to kill creatures like us. My father made me train in terms of combat so that I could protect myself in case I ever ran into skilled hunters. I doubt that Adrian and Scourge would've had the same training if they were held captive by hunters. From the way Adrian was acting, I couldn't help but to think that he had escaped from somewhere. I mean, he was covered in blood and dirt. Obviously, he didn't have an easy time getting away from whoever had him in the first place. I wondered if Scourge got away safely as well…

"Sweetie," my mother said as she knocked softly on my door. I picked my head up as I closed my photo album. I quickly threw it under my bed so that she wouldn't see. "Can I come in," she asked.

"Yes," I replied. The door began to creak open before my mother poked her head into the room. She smiled softly at me.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hi."

"I um…I have some things that you may want to look at." I raised an eyebrow as I sat up in my bed. As she walked into the room, I noticed that she was carrying a laptop and a small lace journal. She set the two items down onto my bed. "This is your old diary," she said, picking up the journal. "And this is your old laptop. There are old some documents, videos, and pictures that you may want to look at. I know that you've been overly curious about Scourge and I don't think that I can hide him from you any longer. Maybe once you see who he was, your mind will get some closure."

"You say that as if he's a different person now." My mother sighed deeply.

"He might as well be," she murmured. She forced another smile on her face before leaning down to kiss my forehead. I smiled back at her as she retreated back towards the door.

"Hey mom," I called after her. She turned around to face me at the sound of my voice. "How is Adrian? Is he alright?"

"Yes. He's fine. I think once he calmed down, he realized that he was in safe hands." I smiled.

"Good." My mother nodded before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. My eyes went to the things she had left on my bed and my heart skipped a beat. While I did want to read the journal, I knew that setting up the laptop and watching some videos would be a faster method. I opened up the laptop, started it up, and plugged some earbuds in. The wallpaper of the computer was of me and Scourge at the beach – the same one that was in the photo album. It must have been the most recent photograph of us before everything went down. I blushed lightly at the thought of us playing around in the water and him pulling me close to kiss me in the ocean. Gosh, I was so whipped over this kid and I didn't even remember a single thing of what he was like. My old emotions for him must've been pretty strong for them to continue lingering like this. I couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way about me…

I immediately clicked into the video section of the documents on the computer. The most recent one was from 24 years ago… Wow, has it really been that long? I shook my head as I clicked on it. The first thing that popped up on the screen was Scourge's charming smile. He seemed to be sitting in a chair in a red room that seemed to belong to a girl. "Amy, I think I fixed your computer," he said. I felt my heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice. It was the exact voice I'd imagined him to have – very deep and laced with a city accent.

"Really," I heard my own voice reply. The girl I see often in the mirror appeared behind Scourge. She smiled at camera. "Aw, nice. Thanks Score."

"No problem," he told her – well me. He looked over his shoulder as the old me looped her arms around his neck. He kissed my cheek lightly. "So, what do I get for being the best friend in the whole wide world?"

"A snicker," the girl replied with a grin. Scourge crinkled his eyebrows together.

"A snicker?" He asked. The girl didn't have time to respond before he got up, grabbing her small waist and lifting her up. She squealed as he slammed her down onto her bed. He then began to tickle her, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.

"Scourge," she yelled between her giggles. "Stop it!"

"Nope," he said simply as he continued to tickle her. "Not until you come up with another prize for me – a prize that I actually want." She grabbed his hands in hers as she smiled up at him.

"You don't want a snicker? I mean, hey if you don't want it then I will definitely take it." He tried to move his hands but she held on tighter as she giggled again. "Okay, okay. I will give a kiss. Is that better?"

"Much," he replied before he leaned down to kiss her. My stomach erupted into a million butterflies as I watched them kiss passionately. Now I really wished that I could remember my old life. I definitely would have liked to remember how it felt to be kissed the way he was kissing the old me. Even though the kiss only lasted a few moments, I was sure there was more where that came from.

The old me giggled as Scourge got up to grab something off the desk. The picture followed him so I guess he must've grabbed the camera or something. He flopped back beside the old me in which the girl quickly curled up onto his chest. The boyish grin on Scourge's face slowly vanished as his ice blue eyes hardened. He was staring up at the camera, his plush pink lips turning into a frown. "What are you thinking about," the old me asked as one of her small hands caressed his chin.

"Do you think that the whole vampire apocalypse thing is true," he asked, his voice distant. The girl beside him frowned, picking her head up so that she could look down at him. Scourge turned his beautiful eyes to her.

"Honestly," the girl asked, her voice getting soft as well. He nodded. "I don't want to. I don't want to think any of the crap on the news is true but from the way everything is turning out…I can't help but to think that it may just be the truth." Scourge sighed. "I hope that they don't come here."

"Me too," he replied. "But don't worry. I'll protect you…no matter what happens."

"You promise," I asked. He nodded.

"I promise," he replied. "I promise that I won't let them hurt you." The old me smiled as she leaned down to kiss his lips softly.

"Thank you." She leaned down to kiss him once more as the camera shifted. The screen went black for a moment before the videos popped up again. I stared at the screen for a moment, my mind swimming with images of what I'd just seen. Scourge and I…we were together – romantically. We were happy. We were young and happy. He was my best friend. He was the prince charming of my old life. If the vampires hadn't come…if the apocalypse had never happened…where would we have been right now? Living in a house somewhere with our children? The thought of having little babies huddled around an older version of Scourge and I made my heart flutter. I was just about to make up some names for them when another knock rang on my door. I quickly closed the laptop and sat up in my bed.

"Come in," I yelled. The door opened, revealing Adrian standing in my doorway. He was cleaned up now, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tee. He stared at me for a moment with an unreadable expression before his eyes went down to the laptop beside me. He crinkled his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Where did you get that," he asked.

"Amber gave it to me," I replied. "Is there something wrong?"

"Hell yea there is," he said as he took the laptop from off of my bed. Before I could even blink, he snapped the electronic in half. My eyes widened as the visual evidence of Scourge that I had disappeared right before my eyes. I opened my mouth to yell at my brother but no words came out. Just as implicitly as my affection for Scourge came, a subtle relief at the sight of the destruction rose in me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the same part where the affection had formed, I was relieved to see that the laptop was useless. I was relieved that I didn't have visual and audio evidence of him. I was relieved that I was cut short of things that would remind me of him.

My new mind spun around as it tried to wrap itself around this new concept. Was I supposed to be happy that Scourge was no longer in my life? I blinked a couple of times as my new body tried to adjust to the change of emotion that came towards the thought of Scourge. Instead of the warm and happy thoughts that I'd gotten before, I received somber and almost fearful thoughts. Shivers with no explanations ran down my spine as the image of his face resurfaced in my mind once more. What in the world had happened?

"Are you okay," I heard Adrian ask. I looked up at him to see that his young, handsome face was pulled into a worried expression. A crease in between his eyebrows appeared, his emerald eyes glimmered with tenderness and his lips were tightened at the ends. _He looks just like daddy_, a part of my mind murmured softly. Tears threatened to brim my eyes at the thought of that. Why? My mind wasn't completely sure. Apparently my implicit instincts had more control over my body than my explicit instincts did. The thought scared me but I had to learn to trust it. My implicit brain remembers my old life and was keeping tabs on my new one. I had no choice but to trust it.

"I'm fine," I murmured. I turned my eyes towards the broken laptop in his hands. "Why did you do that?"

"Because knowing you, you were still logged into your old Facebook account."

"Why would that have been a problem?"

"Because they've been watching the activity on your page…waiting for you to be online again."

"Why would they do that? Who are they?" Adrian's mouth tightened as he took a seat on my bed. He gently set the broken computer on the floor as he sighed deeply.

"Richard told me not to say anything. He and Amber feel that it's better if you don't know anything."

"Why?"

"Because your ignorance is probably the best bet at keeping you safe." He stayed quiet for a moment, staring down at the floor. From his fidgeting and constant movement of his fingers, I could tell that he wanted to tell me something but didn't know how. I wanted to wait patiently for whatever he was going to say but my curiosity was still springing around. I wanted to know where he'd come from and what he'd been through. If there was an evil out there, I wanted to know what it was.

"How are you feeling," I asked, causing him to look up at me.

"I'm fine."

"You were pretty shaken up earlier."

"Oh…yea."

"You seemed as if you were running from something…or someone." A muscle in Adrian's jaw jumped as he looked down once more.

"I was," he said simply. "I almost didn't get away. If it weren't for Richard and Amber then I don't know where I'd be right now."

"Did you know they were trying to protect you?" He shook his head.

"I thought they were part of what I was running away from. I thought they were going to harm me. Then I saw you…"

"Did you think they'd harmed me?"

"Honestly, the only thought in my mind was the fact that you were alive – well not completely per to say. The last time I saw you, you were unconscious and I couldn't tell what had happened to you." I reached out to grab his hand. Immediately, he gave my hand a tight squeeze and didn't let up on it. "I thought I had lost you," he murmured. I scooted closer to him so that I could run a hand through his hair. I wanted to tell him that he hadn't lost me but I didn't know if that statement was true. I wasn't all too sure if I was still the girl I was before. I'd only seen a small glimpse of her from Amber's description and the short video I'd watched just minutes before. From my perspective, I didn't know if I could ever get back to being that girl. "At least now I know you're safe."

"And you'll be safe too." Adrian hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. His emerald eyes were staring at our intertwined hands now flashes of various negative emotions running through them. While his facial expression still held concern, I could see some of his younger features beginning to show. His frightened eyes, his troubled frown, and his trembling hands. I could only imagine what he'd seen during this past 24 years that made him grow up so quickly. His physical age was only fifteen which means that he was way too young to even be thrown into some type of danger. He was still only a kid. "Do you…do you wanna talk about what happened…what you've been through?"

"I've already discussed it with Richard. He advised that I don't share the same stories with you."

"Why not?"

"Because you were lucky enough to be taken away – to be saved. Richard doesn't want me to put my burdens on you. He doesn't want you to feel as if you should've been there with me – as if you failed as a big sister for abandoning me."

"I abandoned you?"

"No. They took you away from me. But, you know how older siblings are; they are protective over their younger siblings." He sighed, his hold on my hand tightening. "It doesn't much matter now anyway. We're together now – that's what's important."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. He shook his head.

"Don't be. None of this was your fault. Just be happy…be happy that you can't remember."

"Why?" His emerald eyes flicked up to meet mine.

"Because then you'll be able to succeed and thrive in this life…something that the rest of us are going to find hard to do." I stared at my little brother for a moment, trying to process what he'd just said to me. Was that true? Would I really be able to make something out of my new life simply because I couldn't remember my old one? I quickly went through my graceful adjustment into this life and realized that Adrian was right. This life was easy for me to come to terms with and live in. I guessed that it may not have been so easy for Adrian. But then again, only he and Richard know what he's been through. From the hints he was dropping, I could deal that whatever had went down wasn't good. At least he survived. I guess that's all that had to matter.

With Adrian around, the days began to get less lonely. I spent a lot of time with him over the next year or so. I taught him how to hunt just as Richard had taught me. I also tried to introduce him to the magic of literature and modern-day tales but he wasn't really for all of that. Instead, he took more interest into the top-notch video game systems that Richard had gotten for him. He did teach me how to play though. We would sit for hours playing various games and spending quality time together. When we would get bored of staying inside, we would go outside and have small races using our vampire-amped speed. We'd also explore around the woods and find cool places to hang out at. My brother came to be a good friend to me. While I was sure that he was probably annoying back when we were humans, I thoroughly enjoyed his jokes and sarcasm. In fact, his playful attitude rubbed off on me so much so that my so-called "smart-mouth" began to resurface – not that I minded too much. I enjoyed being sassy.

One summer, my mother and father announced that we were moving to the other side of the country. The two didn't really tell us the real reason why we were moving, just that we were. That fact didn't really sit well with Adrian. He practically drove himself crazy for a week or so as he tried to figure out the reason behind our relocation. He vented to me about his fears of his old enemies finding out about our location or if they were close or if our caretakers were turning on us. I tried to reassure him of his fears but he held onto them pretty strongly. His negative thoughts drove him to confront my father about the announcement and demand to know why we were leaving. My father surprised us both with the simple answer of putting us back into society – a real society. He explained that he and my mother had close friends up in Orlando, Florida that we would be living near. They were taking care of some old friends of ours from our old life. He and my mother had thought that we might feel more comfortable if we expanded our horizons a little bit.

The answer seemed to put Adrian at ease although I could still sense his fear. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he was afraid of what was to come once we moved. I understood his feelings completely. I, also, felt the same way. The big house we'd lived in was the only house I'd come to truly know and love. I didn't exactly feel comfortable leaving it behind. However, I knew that I had to follow through with my parents' orders. They knew what was best for us.

Within a month after our parents' announcement, we were all packed up and ready to travel. My father decided to drive in the huge Jeep while the rest of our vehicles would be shipped to our destination. While I wasn't quite sure where exactly we had resided before, I did realize that it was a long way from where we were going. We spent a good four days in the car as we traveled up to our new home. Four days may seem like a long time to be around your family but it didn't affect us all too much. We'd usually have our talks in the afternoon and then leave each other be in the morning and nights. Usually, I would read, Adrian would play on his small gaming device or listen to music on his little music device thing, my mother would draw in a notebook, and my father would drive quietly. It was quite peaceful.

I enjoyed the changes of scenery as we traveled. As we drove down the road, I liked to take notice of the new environment that each state held. Where we had come from was mostly woods so I was thoroughly surprised by the clear open spaces, serene beaches, busy cities, and bright lights that some of the other states held. New York was my favorite. We had driven through the main city at night when all the people were walking around and the buildings were lit up with posters and flashing lights. I couldn't help but to stare out the window curiously as we drove through. I noticed tons of couples huddled together as they walked, doing their best to stay together. My sensitive eyes spotted some couples in fancy restaurants, laughing and flirting around. The sight brought a soft smile on my lips.

Recently, my brother brought to my attention that my attraction to the thought of love was defined as being a hopeless romantic – something of which I'd always been. "It's not a bad thing," Adrian had said when I frowned at the word. "It just means that you're more likely to be all sappy and romantic when you get a boyfriend. Most girls are hopeless romantics." When he generalized the term to most girls, I felt a bit better. I didn't want to be the only one fantasizing about love and what it would feel like to be loved.

I had been trying to not fantasize so much about love though since Scourge's face usually came along with the thought. My implicit brain usually brought them on, the old emotions still lingering. I forced myself to push those lingering emotions away. From Adrian's reactions and facial expressions towards Scourge, I could tell that he wasn't the same person he used to be. He wasn't the lovable blue eyed boy with a strong city accent and a light sense of humor. He wasn't the boy the old me used to love. While I didn't know who the new Scourge was, I had a feeling that I didn't want to find out.

As we rode into our new town, I was fascinated with the scenery. Orlando was a beautiful city that held tons of huge buildings, open spaces, warm weather, and people everywhere. There were also a few cool attractions nearby and in the town that I knew Adrian and I had to check out. According to the website I had pulled up on the city, Universal Studios and Walt Disney World weren't far from the city at all. In fact, Universal Studios resided right in the city. I knew that Adrian and I had to go there one day. I'd never been to an amusement park before – not that I could remember anyway. It would be fun to go. There were also tons of parks, festivals and other things that we could do during the years. I loved the city already.

Our new house lay in a quiet neighborhood with big, obviously expensive houses. The house that we were going to live in was painted a deep tan with vinyl windows, a garage and a back patio with an in-ground pool. "Home sweet home," my mom said as we pulled into the driver. Adrian looked up from the movie he was watching on his laptop to look up at the house. His eyebrows crinkled the slightest bit in confusion as he looked around our surroundings curiously.

"Are we where we think we are," he asked. My mother nodded.

"Yup. We're in Orlando, where the two of you are from." A muscle in Adrian's jaw jumped as an indirect glare formed on his face. I reached out for his hand and gave it a soft squeeze. He turned his emeralds towards me, his concerned expression coming upon it. Again, my implicit memory caused a wave of sorrow and nostalgia to crash over me. _He looks just like daddy, _the small voice said quietly.

"I know what you're thinking," my father said as we made our way into the house. My jaw dropped as I looked around at the fully furnished home. The living room was just as huge as the last one with a sleek, chestnut carpet, soft, brown furniture, a flat screen television, and a coffee table. From there, I could see into the elegant dining room that had a long glass table, a small chandelier, and a chestnut colored china cabinet. "You're thinking that we're trying to get you killed."

"Right on the nail," Adrian replied to my father. The older man sighed.

"I know I've told you this many times already but you have to trust us. Amber and I have done our research; the town has been clean of any vampire activity for years. In fact, I think most of the residents here have either long forgotten about it or weren't here when they hit."

"I doubt anyone could forget," Adrian muttered. "I know you're trying to make things sound pretty for Amy but let's be real: everyone who was here when the vampires came are either dead or are a vampire. When you say vampire activity, you mean those deranged armies." Adrian looked to me. "There are still vampires here. I bet there are some hunters here too."

"Adrian," my father said sternly. My brother narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze back to him.

"She's better off knowing what's going on. You can't keep here in the dark forever – that type of ignorance will get her killed."

"Armies," I squeaked out.

"Don't worry about that," Adrian said. "Not yet, anyway." My father opened his mouth to say something but he shut it and shook his head. He knew that if he tried to argue with Adrian, then they could go at it all night. Adrian stood up strongly for his beliefs and it was very hard to get him to shut up once you challenged them.

"Come," my mother said, lightening the mood. "Let me show the two of you to your new rooms. Our guests will be here shortly so you two should start getting cleaned up. We sent our things ahead of time so everything is already unpacked so just look in the drawers and closets for clothes." We followed her up the carpeted stairs to the carpeted hallway on the upper floor. There were about ten rooms that I could see from the middle of the cross that was a hallway. My mother led us down the straight line to the end of the hall where two rooms sat across from each other. Mine was on the right while Adrian's was on the left – each fully furnished as well. My room was painted red, like my old room, with a black carpeted rug, a queen sized bed with a rose designed comforter, a desk, a small television, a bookshelf, a walk-in closet, and a personal bathroom. Adrian's room looked similar to mine with the exception that his was painted gray and looked more…boyish.

Adrian and I did as we were told in getting cleaned up. I took a quick shower in my new bathroom and changed into a jean skirt, a red baby doll tank, and sandals. I brushed my hair so that it fell into its natural waves down my back. I walked out of my room just as Adrian did. He was wearing a fitted black tee shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, and sneakers. His hair was messy again but he seemed to like it that way. I grabbed his hand as we walked down the hallway. "You okay," I asked him.

"No," he answered simply. "This is our old house." My heart skipped a beat at the sound of that. "Everything's almost the same way it used to be," he murmured. I squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry," I told him. We headed downstairs where my parents were sitting in the living room with four unfamiliar faces. The first was a handsome man that looked to be around my father's age with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and long legs. The woman sitting beside him was very pretty with her long blonde hair, big blue eyes, and hourglass figure. The other two girls in the room were younger than the first faces. One looked around my age with sand colored skin, bright topaz eyes, and a head full of bouncy lavender colored curls. The other looked to be around Adrian's age and looked like the first girl with the exception of a rounder face.

"Ames," the girl around my age exclaimed at the sight of me. Immediately, she shot up and I was in her arms. I was caught off guard by the hug but my implicit memory sent a warm, fuzzy feeling down my spine from the contact. I wrapped my slim arms around her as well, giving her small figure a squeeze.

"Hi," I told her. She pulled away a little so that she could look me in the eyes. She was a very pretty girl with her plump lips, perfectly plucked eyebrows, wide eyes, and long eyelashes. She was short like me though since we were about the same height. She smiled, expressing dimples in her cheeks.

"Hey. Richard and Amber gave us the whole run down about your amnesia so I know you don't remember me. I'm Blaze, your best friend since pre-kindergarten," she said, her bubbly voice holding a small city accent. She looked to Adrian who was blushing softly at the sight of Blaze's sister. "Adrian," she exclaimed as she tackled him into a hug.

"Hey Blaze," he murmured. "I see you haven't changed."

"Nope and neither has Olivia – ya know…in case you were wondering." She wiggled her eyebrows at my brother causing him to blush even deeper.

"Blaze," the younger girl, Olivia, whined. She got up from her seat and slowly made her way towards Adrian. Blush covered her cheeks as she looked to my brother. "Hey," she said, her voice soft and bashful.

"Hey," Adrian replied.

"Ah, young love at its finest," Blaze said with a soft smile. Adrian rolled his eyes while Olivia sent her sister a glare. Blaze looked to me and smiled. "Wanna go upstairs and talk?" I opened my mouth to agree before my mother said something.

"Here, girls, take these upstairs with you," she said as she held out some water bottles of blood. Adrian stepped forward and took them from her.

"I'll carry them," he told her. My mother smiled at him as he took them from her. Blaze grabbed my hand and began to lead me back upstairs to my room. Adrian and Olivia followed us. Adrian left two of the bottles of blood in my room before he and Olivia headed into his.

"Don't be getting frisky in there," Blaze called after them.

"Shut up," Adrian and Olivia said in unison. Blaze giggled as I shut my room door. She flopped down onto my bed, casually, as if she'd done it many times before. The sight of her warm smile sent another wave of nostalgia down my spine from my implicit memory. A faint image of Scourge flopping down beside her and motioning for me to come over appeared before me. I blinked the image away quickly. Bad implicit memory. I couldn't think of him anymore. He wasn't the Scourge I once knew.

After I'd grabbed one of the bottles of blood, I perched down beside my old best friend. She was smiling at me, her topaz eyes shining brightly. "I've missed you," she said softly. I smiled. "I know you don't remember but I thought I'd just let you know."

"Thank you." She sat up.

"So, let's talk. What's been up?"

"Nothing really, I guess." I said with a shrug. "A lot of reading, studying, and hunting and stuff. I haven't really had anything interesting happen." Blaze shook her head.

"I understand. Vampire parents can be so overprotective. I didn't have a social life for the first ten years. They thought I was 'unstable'," she made air quotes with her fingers. "It was the most stupid thing I've ever heard."

"My parents tried to say that about Adrian."

"That's because Adrian is a piece of work. He was always like that."

"Like what?"

"Rebellious, hot-headed, hard-headed, and hopelessly in love with my sister; that's just Adrian for you." She shrugged. "Anyway, you haven't really been up to anything?" I shook my head.

"Have you?" A mischievous smile appeared on my friend's lips. The sight made me smile. My implicit memory told me that a good story was on its way.

"Lots," she said before going into a big story about her past summer romance with some boy in Paris. She had a lot of stories about different guys she'd been with over the years as well the adventures she'd been on with some interesting people she'd met. She told me about her travels of the world and everything she saw. She even opened up to me about our old life. She shared stories of when we used to rule our high school and some crazy stories that happened in between that time period. I couldn't help but to listen to her, my ears stuck on every word she was saying. She ended up spending the night with me and she introduced me to the joys of something called Netflix and some of the recent pop culture. From that night on, we spent every day of the rest of the summer together. My parents didn't feel comfortable with me going too far so we mostly hung out around the house or near the big park near our street. I could see why the old me had clicked with Blaze. She was funny, outgoing, and a genuinely good person. Our old friendship rekindled quickly and before I knew it: I had a best friend.

I didn't think life could get any better until the last week of summer. Adrian and I were hanging out in his room when my parents had knocked and gained permission to come in. I was kind of disappointed at their timing since I was trying to get information out of him and his relations with Olivia. He had been pretty tight lipped about what was going on between them which was driving me crazy. I was turning into the nosy big sister who wanted to know what was going on with my little brother – something of which apparently was an old trait I'd had before. My interrogation didn't really bother Adrian and he seemed to know how to dodge my questions without any hesitation. He was pretty picky about the information he wanted to share and the information he didn't.

"What's up," I asked as my parents walked into the room. Adrian sat up on his bed, raising an eyebrow at the pair.

"We wanted to talk to the two of you about…school," my mother said with a soft smile.

"School," I repeated, feeling a smile arise on my lips. Adrian noticed my smile and his mouth tightened at the sides. "You're going to let us go to school?"

"Yes. The two of you have been very good at containing your thirst around humans and controlling your vampire instincts. We know that we've been keeping you guys cooped up in this house and the neighborhood; we also understand how frustrating the limitation can be. So, we were going to lighten up the leash and let you guys try to go to the local high school. Would that be alright with you two?"

"Yes," I exclaimed. My father smiled at my response. I blushed softly as I realized how quickly I'd said it but I couldn't help it. After hearing all those stories about the fun times that school can bring from Lyla, I couldn't help but to be excited. I had also been watching a good bit of Netflix shows that revolved around high school kids. I was hoping that I could have that type of excitement – and romance in my life.

"We could…try, I guess," Adrian muttered.

"Good, it's settled then. The two of you will start next week," my father said. My eyes widened.

"Next week? So soon?"

"Well, yes. The school year does start next week. I didn't think we could prolong it anymore. It's better that you two start with everyone else to make it seem more…normal," my mother explained.

"I guess that makes sense," I said with a shrug. My mother nodded.

"I'm assuming that you will want to go shopping so I'll leave you both some money in the morning before I go to work, okay?" We both nodded.

"Thank you," I said with a smile. My mother nodded, returning a soft smile.

"Sure, sweetie." Once my parents left the room, I turned to Adrian. He was glaring at the door, his emerald eyes turning a darker shade.

"What's wrong," I asked him. His eyes flicked to me.

"Nothing, it's just…I don't think this is safe. We can't just go out there and pretend to be normal."

"Why not? Blaze and Olivia do it."

"That's because Blaze and Olivia are different." I crinkled my eyebrows together.

"How so? They're vampires, just like us yet they go to school and travel and have boyfriends and-"

"I know," he said harshly. "But they're not us. They're the vampires that they can care less about." I frowned.

"Adrian, are you still worrying about the people you were running away from?"

"I can't help but to. I mean, we're back in our old town – in our exact house and we're going to be going to the same school and I just can't help but to think that this will be one of the first places they'll look for us. I already know what they're going to do with me but with you…" His eyes softened. "I can't let them hurt you too." I reached for his hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"They won't. Just have some faith, will you?" Adrian hesitated for a moment but nodded. "Good. Now, I'm going to go call Rouge. We're all going shopping tomorrow." Adrian frowned at me. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to invite Olivia."

"Get out my room," he said as he playfully pushed me off his bed. I giggled at him as I got to my feet and skipped out his room. I immediately grabbed my new phone and dialed Blaze's number. "Are there any malls nearby," I asked after she answered.

"Hmm, possibly. Why? Are we going shopping?"

"Yup. My parents just told Adrian and I that we're going to school next week."

"What? No way!" She squealed. "This is going to be great! I have my license so I will drive. I'll pick you guys up at one, sound good?"

"That's perfect."

The next morning, I found myself super giddy. My implicit memory had basically had a dance party at the sound of shopping. I could tell that the old me must've done it frequently. I got out of my bed around eight o' clock to eat some breakfast. My parents had already gone off to work – something of which I still don't know. They leave and they come back. Adrian and I have no clue what they do. All we know is that they're filthy rich. That does come in handy though since they can give us all our immortal hearts desired. For example, my mother had left each of us a thousand dollars to go shopping with. Why? I have no idea. I mean, we did already have new clothes in our closet. It wasn't as if we really needed any more. I just took the chance to get out of the house and go somewhere.

After taking a shower, I changed into a royal blue sleeveless romper that had shorts as the bottoms and had lace flowers all over. I also threw on some black wedges to go with the look. I brushed my hair and put on some perfume before heading back downstairs. Adrian was sitting on the couch wearing a simple outfit of a white tee, jeans, and sneakers. He was texting on his phone before he saw me. His emerald eyes looked me over as he raised an eyebrow. "You got some hot date that I don't know about?" He asked. I blushed deeply.

"No. I was just trying to look presentable…" I said.

"Presentable for those boys," Adrian teased with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at him. A loud honk sounded from outside.

"Whatever. Come on, Blaze's here." Adrian followed me out of the house and into Lyla's white sports car. He climbed into the backseat with Olivia while I took the passenger seat beside Rouge. "Hey," I greeted her. Blaze looked stunning as usual in a white crop top that was in the shape of a bow, ripped jean shorts, and white sandals. Her curls were left bouncing around her face, outlining her sweet face.

"Hey girl," she replied. Before I could say anything else, she practically zoomed off of our street. The speed was unusually foreign to me but I found myself enjoying it. The sensation gave me the same sort of feeling that I received when I used my vampire speed; a mix of adrenaline and liberation. The drive was nice though. I enjoyed the casual conversation and the wind blowing through my hair.

As soon as we got to the huge mall, Olivia and Adrian practically ditched Blaze and I – not that we minded. "First thing's first, let's get something done with this hair of yours," Blaze said as we walked down the busy hallways of the mall. I barely heard her since I was too busy absorbing the sweet scents of the people around me. They all smelled so good…

"What's wrong with my hair," I asked.

"Nothing's wrong with it. I just figured that you might want to start the school year with a fresh new look." I raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled mischievously as she shook her head. "Come on, I'll show you what I'm talking about." She led me down to a hair salon and told the stylist what to do with my hair – low enough that I couldn't tune in. I sat patiently in the chair as the stylist did as Blaze asked. I got my hair washed, trimmed, and dyed a lighter, more vibrant shade of pink. The new color made my hair look shiny and made my emerald eyes pop. I had to admit that Blaze knew what she was talking about with whatever she had told the stylist. The next place that Lyla demanded we go to was the makeup store. "You're naturally pretty," she had told me, "but every girl needs some makeup." We ended spending a long while in there before actually getting down to the actual shopping. Blaze helped me pick out clothes that suited my new, girly style. I mostly got skirts, shorts, baby doll tops, flouncy tops, crop tops, and other girly clothes. I also got tons of accessories such as earrings, necklaces, rings, and a couple new piercings in my cartilage, second holes, and my belly button. None of them hurt but they did look pretty stylish.

A couple hours later, Blaze and I found ourselves in the food court, ordering some things to eat. Although Blaze didn't have a craving for regular food like I did, she still did enjoy it. Our species of vampires were quite strange. The sun didn't affect us, we could still eat human food, and we weren't completely blood thirsty. It was weird.

"Oh my God, this is so good," Blaze said as she took a bite of her sesame chicken from some Chinese food restaurant.

"It is," I replied as I took a bite out of my own container. "I'm so hungry." Blaze shook her head as a smile came across her face. I wanted to question her action before a very distinct scent caught my attention. The scent was strong, very strong – that much I could tell. It wafted through my nose slowly, temptingly, it's sweet undertone calling to my vampire senses. I bit down on my fangs that threatened to sharpen as I turned my head towards where the smell was radiating from.

My eyes immediately met green ones – pretty green ones that were such a mix of green and orange that they shined an bright emerald color to my sensitive eyes. I felt my heartbeat begin to speed up as my eyes took themselves away from the emerald ones to examine the person in which they belonged to.

It was a boy. A boy with smooth, dark caramel colored skin, a head full of curly blue hair, perfectly sculpted eyebrows, almond shaped eyes, long eyelashes, and full lips. His long legs were stretched out in front of him under the table while his muscular arms lay at his sides. He was dressed in a graphic tee shirt, jeans, sneakers, and his hair a mess but somehow, he looked perfect in my eyes. My heartbeat sped up as I realized that he was eyeing me up as well. I began to blush as the thought that he felt the same distinct attraction to me that I was feeling to him. Sure, I knew it was his blood that had caught my attention but he was staring at me too. What did that mean?

He was sitting with a group of other boys at a table who were conversing and laughing. One of them must've called his name since he slowly took his eyes off of me and began to engage back into the conversation. I blinked out of my gaze, his scent still overpowering my nose, and turned back to Blaze. She was raising a concerned eyebrow at me. "You alright," she asked. I nodded.

"I'm fine. It's just…his smell…" I murmured.

"Do you want to leave? Is it too much?"

"No, it's not like I want to drink it or anything. The smell is just…I don't know."

"Which one of them is it," Blaze said as she looked over at the group.

"The one with the blue curly hair." And uncanny handsome looks. Blaze raised an eyebrow as she figured out which one I meant.

"Sonic," she asked in disbelief. My heart almost hopped out of my chest at the sound of his name. I clutched the table as my head took a whirl. What was going on? She looked to me. "Honey, you don't want to set your sights on him."

"Is there something wrong with him?" She shrugged.

"He's just…different. He doesn't much associate with anyone out of his circle but even when he does…it's weird. He's weird. I don't know. The guy just gives me weird vibes."

"Does he go to our school?" Blaze nodded.

"Yea, he's in our grade. But, Amy, I mean it: you don't want to set your sights on him. Something about him just isn't right." I nodded.

"I understand." I looked over at the boy, Sonic, again to see he was staring at me. His eyebrows were scrunched together the tiniest bit as was his mouth tightened into a steady line. It was obvious that he was experiencing something similar to what I was. The strong attention-demanding static that was running between us. But how could he feel it if he were human? What was it in the first place? Why was it happening to me?

**REVIEW IF YOU WISH!**


	5. First Day Back

**Hello. So I am considering REWRITING some of my stories once I'm through with this one. I'm definitely eyeing up The Black Wings because it had so much potential but it's just a mess. Any others you guys recommend me rewriting and fixing up?**

**All Characters belong to Sega except my OCs**

**Chapter 4: First Day Back **

"You might as well wave at him while you're at it," Blaze teased. I blushed deeply as I turned away from him. I turned my attention back to my food as I tried to ignore the static line that was running from him to me. Blaze giggled at me as she tilted her head. "Are you sure you're alright?" I nodded, shooting her a smile. I glanced at Sonic from the corner of my eye to see that he was watching me from the corner of his as well. The indirect eye contact caused my stomach to twist up into a tight ball. God, I didn't even know the guy yet and he was giving me symptoms of a crush. Or at least I think it was a crush. I mean, he was attractive but did I really think he was datable material? Blaze had already warned that I didn't want to set my sights on him so I should guess that he wasn't exactly the romantic type. She knew of my hopeless romantic traits so I'm sure that she would only support the best of boys for me to potentially date.

We ate the rest of our dinner quickly before we got up and walked to the trash cans. As we were exiting the food court, we had to pass the table that Sonic was sitting at with who I guessed were his friends. They all immediately looked up at us the moment we got within a meter of their table. Some of the boys were smirking appreciatively at Blaze and I while the others were just staring curiously. My eyes reluctantly met Sonic's to see that he was neither smirking nor being nosy. Instead, there was a strange, almost cold look on his face. His light emerald eyes were livid with some emotion that I couldn't put my finger on. His full lips were settled into a small frown and one of his eyebrows was cocked upwards. My breath got caught in my throat as I held his intense gaze. His strong, inviting aroma swarmed around me, attempting to tug me towards him. My teeth sharpened the slightest bit as my sensitive eyes noticed his pulse beating in his throat. I grinded my teeth together as I looked away from him.

Blaze curled her hand around mine and gave it a soft squeeze. I looked up at her to see that she was offering me a soft smile. I forced a tight smile back at her as we gained some distance away from the boys. Slowly, the strong scent faded away and I was able to breathe normally again. "What was that," I asked Blaze.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But, from the look on your face, I can see that it wasn't the best feeling in the whole world." I shook my head.

"It was so strange. It was as if his scent was luring me to him – like I was supposed to be near him or something."

"So his scent totally ships you guys? That's new." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Blaze, this is serious. What if this isn't normal?"

"Honestly, Ames, nothing that's been happening to you is normal. The coma, your appetite for food, and now this…" She shook her head. "Maybe you should talk to your parents. This is getting to be a bit much, don't you think?" I nodded, a small frown pulling at my lips. She noticed my expression and gave me a soft hug. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll have an explanation for all of this."

"I hope so," I murmured. Blaze gave me a reassuring hug before taking out her phone to call her sister and tell her that it was time to leave. The drive home was comforting, the speed and the change of conversation refreshing. After the strange encounter with the boy, I will admit that I was a bit shaken up. The attraction I'd felt towards him was so strange. I hadn't wanted to drink his blood – I think. I just wanted to be near him. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to know him.

The thoughts I was having reminded me of the feelings that the characters in my romance novels receive when they realize that they were falling in love. But, the difference with me was that I wasn't falling in love. I didn't even know the guy! So, why were my senses so strongly attracted to him? What was it about him that interested me so? Yes, he was attractive – very handsome but there had to be more than that. Did I know him? I waited patiently as my implicit memory raked through itself, searching for some type of clue that might link the old me to him. While it may not be physically him since he had to only be about 16 or 17, I was thinking maybe I knew a relative or someone of that sort. My implicit memory came up blank, shrugging its shoulders apologetically at me. I sighed softly as Blaze pulled into the driveway of our house. We all bid our goodbyes, Olivia gracing Adrian with a peck on the cheek, before my brother and I headed into the house.

My parents were sitting in the living room, watching the television and trying to look casual. "Did you guys have fun," my mother asked as she stood up. She eyed the bags in our hands as well as my new hair color. "Wow, I see you guys got some things done. Your hair looks great, sweetie." I blushed.

"Thanks. Um, mom, can I talk to you upstairs?" Adrian raised an eyebrow at my request but rolled his eyes and retreated up the steps to his room. My mother also seemed surprised at my question but nodded her head.

"Of course," she said. We walked upstairs to my room where Amber shut the door behind her. I set my bags down on the floor near my closet before sitting down on my bed. Amber sat down next to me, putting her hands in her lap. "Is everything alright," she asked, tilting her head slightly at me.

"Honestly, I'm not completely sure," I said as I intertwined my fingers together. "Mom, am I…are we normal vampires?" My mother raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from what I've read in my books, we don't exactly fit the normal vampire criteria. We walk in the sun, we can refrain from drinking human blood right out of their throats, and we're not evil. Then there's me…I can eat food and I don't have any memories and earlier I…I had this strange connection with a human…"

"What do you mean by a strange connection?" My mother pursed her lips in concern. I closed my eyes as the memory of his strong, overbearingly sweet scent filled my mind. My fangs started to sharpen once more so I bit down on them to prevent my mother from noticing.

"His smell…it was very alluring – almost as if it wanted me or something."

"I see," my mother said, her pursed lips turning into a frown. "Sweetie, there's much more to vampires than the humans can explain in their literature. We're not all the same; we're just as different as the humans are from each other."

"So, it's okay that I'm…different?"

"There's nothing wrong with you being…how you are but…"

"But what?" She sighed, reaching out to give my hand a soft squeeze.

"That doesn't mean that your differences won't put you in danger."

"The same danger that Adrian is always worrying about?" My mother nodded. "When are you and daddy going to tell me about what happened to him?"

"When it's necessary," she said simply. She pulled her lips up into a smile and ran a hand through my hair. "Don't fret too much about all of this. Whatever connection you felt probably wasn't anything bad. Some vampires are known to be guardians of specific humans – maybe that's your purpose in this life."

"Vampires have purposes? I thought only angels carried actual destinies. Aren't we just the damned?"

"Some of us, yes. Your father and I studied young vampires for a while as we waited for you to wake up. We took notice of their transformation and how they acted once they were a vampire. Some people change and others stay the same, just like they would if they were getting older. We noticed that some vampires did tend to lean towards a guardianship of humans while others turned to hate the humans – or the other vampires. It's a very strange phenomenon."

"So, we're all destined to make something of ourselves whether good or bad in this life?"

"Yes. For example, your father and I are caregivers. We take care of young, naïve, possibly scared vampires and help them settle into their new life. We protect them, nurture them, and then let them find their own way."

"So, you're not my real mother?" Amber looked down as she shook her head.

"I thought you would've figured that out considering the actions that Adrian takes towards us."

"I just thought that was Adrian being Adrian in all honesty." My mother smiled. "So, our real parents…"

"I'm afraid that they're dead, sweetie," she murmured. "I know that you don't remember them but they were very good people. They would have been exceptional immortals if they would've been transformed." My implicit memory flashed a picture of a warm faced woman and a tall, lean man before my eyes as sadness ran over me. While I may not consciously remember them, I could tell in my non-beating heart that what Amber had said was true. They were good people who loved their children – loved them enough to sacrifice themselves for their sake.

"So, vampires choose who they change and who they kill?" My mother nodded.

"Not every mortal is useful in a vampire's eyes." She forced a smile. "You should get some rest. Today must've been busy for you." She leaned forward to kiss my forehead. "We will talk more in the morning." I offered her a smile before she got up and left the room.

Once she was gone, I made myself busy by organizing my new things into my room. I tried not to think about vampire purposes or dead parents or the boy with the emerald eyes. I more or less just wanted to lay down and sleep. I could see now why Amber and Richard had put off telling me this stuff; it was a lot of handle. Sure, I may not have much to really worry about but it was still overwhelming. I could see Adrian's attitude reasoning a lot better though. He had lost his parents, his sister, and then went through God only knows what. From the hardness in his eyes, I knew that it was more than he could handle.

After I was finished putting all my things away, I decided to check up on my brother. I knocked softly on his room door before walking in. He was laying on his bed with his earbuds popped in, his music blocking out the rest of the world from his hearing. His emerald eyes flicked to me as I closed the door behind me. He raised an eyebrow as he took one of his earbuds out. "You alright," he asked as I walked towards his bed. I flopped down next to him.

"Our parents are dead," I murmured, the words feeling more like a question than a statement on my lips. My eyes began to water as my implicit memory took over my body. _Mommy and daddy are gone,_ it whispered softly. Adrian frowned at my words. "I'm sorry," I told him.

"Stop that," Adrian snapped. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault." I shook my head.

"I should have been there for you. When I woke up, I should've been wherever you were – we should have gone through this together." A lone tear fell down my face as the guilt that my mind had been hiding began to overwhelm me. My poor, poor baby brother…

"Oh Amy," Adrian said as he wiped the tear off of my face. "Don't get emotional on me. We talked about this before, remember? The past doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that we're together now and that we're safe." He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed tightly. "We're safe now," he murmured. Although he was trying to reassure me, I could hear the strong disbelief in his voice. He didn't trust my parents nor did he trust our location. He knew something that the rest of us didn't know. What that something was, I wasn't all too sure. Did I want to find out? Partially but I would have to leave it up to him to tell me. I couldn't just push him and possibly ruin the trust he had in me. He needed me just as much as I needed him. In the end, we were all each other had.

I ended up falling asleep in Adrian's room, my younger brother curling up beside me as we watched some random movie that he put on. The next morning, our parents left out the house early therefore leaving Adrian and I to do whatever we wanted. My brother opted to call our friends and just hang out around the house. Blaze and Olivia took him up on the offer so they came over in the afternoon. While Olivia and Adrian disappeared once more, Blaze and I decided to catch up on some episodes of a teenage drama show. It was a very relaxing day. In fact, the days following were pretty relaxing. We were all just preparing for school to start and catching up on as much rest as we could. My parents had told me that they had enrolled both Adrian and I into some tough classes since we were geniuses back in our human lives. The statement made Adrian roll his eyes while I just shrugged. More schoolwork meant less time to dwell over whatever my implicit memory liked to put on me. I anticipated that I might actually enjoy the busyness. In fact, Blaze and I planned to join the cheerleading team and possibly play a sport. We were determined to try to make the best out of the year to come.

The night before the first day of school, I had a very hard time getting to sleep. My nerves were jumping around too much for me to relax. All I could think about was the chances of me making friends, getting lost, and adjusting smoothly into the new routine. I was worried that I would stand out too much or totally lose my way around the school or that I may even run into the boy with the alluring scent. I had tried so hard to forget about the strange static sensation that I'd gotten when I'd seen him the week before. I wasn't exactly looking forward to feeling the same way again. Hopefully the school was big enough that we wouldn't run into each other. From the look he had given me, I don't think that he would be too excited to see me either.

When dawn finally struck, I hopped out of bed and darted towards the shower. I washed myself thoroughly and washed my thick hair. Once I was finished, I dried myself off and went back into my room to change. I threw on a white rose print flouncy tank top, a pair of ripped jean shorts and a pair of white wedges. I also took the time to curl my hair into soft waves that fell around my face to the small of my back. I hesitated as I looked towards the makeup kit that I'd brought from the mall. I pondered over whether I was really going to need it or not. I mean, Blaze did say that I was naturally pretty so did I really need the extra work? I shrugged off the thought and decided to brush on some mascara and swipe some shiny lip gloss on my lips. As I looked in the mirror, I had to admit that I was impressed with myself. The smiling girl standing in front of me looked sweet, vibrant, and unnaturally beautiful. The thought of more than enough boys giving me suggestive glances caused me to blush. God, I was so hopeless.

My family was in the kitchen when I came downstairs, drinking blood out of coffee mugs. "Good morning," I greeted all of them with a soft smile. Adrian looked up from his gaze at the table to me. His eyes ran over my outfit as a frown began to form on his lips.

"Where are you going in that," he asked. I raised an eyebrow and looked down at my outfit.

"School. Why? Is it too much?" I tugged at the bottom of the silky tank, attempting to pull it down a little.

"You look beautiful," Amber said with a soft smile. Adrian glanced at her and rolled his eyes. He then turned his attention back to the table, his emerald eyes turning a shade darker once more. I tilted my head at my brother as I walked to his side. I tried to touch his shoulder but he shrugged me off before I could even make contact.

"I'm going outside," he said simply before getting up and bolting out the kitchen using his vampire speed. My eyes crinkled together in confusion as I stared in the direction he had gone. What was going on with him this morning? He was perfectly fine the night before. I turned my gaze towards my parents who were also frowning in the direction of which Adrian had left.

"Is he alright," I asked them. "I mean, is this Adrian just being Adrian or…?"

"I think that's just little brother protectiveness added up with his anxiety of starting school today. He doesn't want you to get into any trouble with the boys at school," Richard said. I blushed softly at the thought. I did remember Adrian's playful comment about my attire when we had gone to the mall. He seemed in good spirits about that though. So, why now was he suddenly hostile about it? "Drink up on your blood and eat some waffles; you have a busy day today." Richard gave me a reassuring smile as he said this, offering some ray of sunshine into this morning. I returned the smile and obeyed his orders.

Once I was finished with breakfast, I headed outside to where Adrian was leaning against the Jeep. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and a lit cigarette was in his mouth. "Adrian," I scolded as I stormed up to him. I snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it on the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Ames, calm down. It's not like cigarettes can hurt out bodies anymore. We're not humans," he said.

"Just because it doesn't affect our bodies anymore doesn't mean that you should be smoking that or anything else. We do have human neighbors, you know." He rolled his eyes. "Look, I know that you're going through a lot but you have to try to lighten up a little bit. We were graced with the gift of another life, you shouldn't be wasting it with hostility and anger."

"A gift," he said with a scoff. "You think this life is a gift?" He shook his head. "Whatever. Can we leave now?" I sighed but gave his hand a soft squeeze. Just as I was about to say something else, Blaze's fancy car pulled up beside our curb. Adrian tugged me towards the car, indirectly telling me that our conversation was over. Blaze smiled brightly at me as I got into the car. She looked pretty in her fitted halter top, jean skirt, and sandals. Her lavender hair was pulled up into a cute high ponytail with a small side swoop that emphasized her topaz eyes.

"Hey girly," she said as she pulled off. I smiled at her.

"Hey."

"Are you ready to go back to the hell hole that we call school?" I giggled as I shook my head.

"I'm sure that it can't be all that bad." Blaze raised both of her eyebrows.

"Haha, wait until we get there; you'll see." I shook my head again at her as I leaned back against the passenger seat. I looked into the rearview mirror to see Olivia and Adrian huddling close together with their hands intertwined. Olivia was murmuring something to him in a soft tone and lightly nuzzling her nose against his cheek. Although his emerald eyes were on the outside world passing by us, it was obvious that he was listening intently to whatever she was saying. I think that she was trying to ease his nerves – an almost impossible task. However, she seemed to be making a crack in his tense façade. The crease between his eyebrows was starting to fade as were his shoulders starting to loosen. I wasn't sure what she was saying but it was obvious that it was working. The thought made my heart melt a little. Young love was so sweet.

I turned my attention away from the couple in the backseat to look up at the school whose parking lot we were driving into. The building was gigantic with a high, elegant crystal arch, glimmering glass windows, and bold gold letters that ran across the front of the building like a banner. The letters spelled out the words "Orlando High School" in a very elegant yet pride-filled manner. The sight made me smile. As Blaze drove into the parking lot, I took notice of the other students walking around wearing their best first day of school attire. Most of the girls were wearing cute blouses and skirts while the boys were in their best polo shirts. I stared at all of their tanned faces and vibrant smiles as they reunited with their school buddies. Their sweet smells radiated softly through my nose but I managed to ignore it. I wasn't all that hungry for blood this morning.

Olivia practically grabbed Adrian and ran once Blaze was securely parked. She had been talking rapidly about her friends wanting to meet her new boyfriend and how they were going to love Adrian. At the sound of the word "boyfriend", Lyla and I exchanged a knowing look. We both knew that they had something going on but we didn't know that it was actually an official thing. Adrian was pretty quiet about their relations so I didn't know everything but as a big sister, I picked up on some things.

"I wish we had all our classes together," Blaze mused as we ascended the steps to the side door of the school. People were milling around us, their soft chatter buzzing in my ears. Blaze had taken hold of my hand to make sure that I wouldn't get lost in the crowd. "That would've been awesome." I nodded I agreement as I looked around at the shiny white floors and the bright orange lockers. My sensitive eyes caught sight of all the groups of friends at each other's lockers, talking happily about their summers. As Blaze and I passed a group of what I assumed were senior boys, I noticed them give us appreciative looks. One of them whistled at us.

"Hey there ladies," he called. "You looking for a tour guide? I can show you around." He then winked as Blaze began to walk faster down the hall.

"Tip number one: avoid the rude, senseless jocks," she said as we entered one of the stairwells of the school. "I made the mistake of dating one of them last year."

"And…?"

"Worst mistake I've made in my entire life." I raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

"He cheated on me with the homecoming queen."

"Ouch. I'm sorry." Blaze shrugged as we walked through the double doors into another hallway.

"Hey, we're immortal. There's always more where one came from." She nodded her head in the direction of the lockers directly in front of us. "Your locker is down there. Mine is on the same floor but on the other side of the building. You have your schedule, right?" I nodded. "Good. We have fourth period, lunch, sixth and seventh period together so I will see you then." I nodded and gave her a smile. She returned the smile before letting go of my hand. She walked down the hallway in her wedges confidently, her jean skirt swaying in motion with her hips. I turned around and began to make my way down to my own locker. I already knew the number so that left me with finding the right one. As I walked past the students standing around their own lockers, I noticed their curious gazes. Some of their eyes were wide with awe while others narrowed with envy. I blushed softly as I continued to walk. I guess that's what I get for wanting to look cute on the first day of school as the new girl.

When I finally reached my locker, I noticed there was a girl standing at the one next to mine. She was a bit tall with long, slim legs that were showing beneath her skater skirt and she had long waterfalls of wild blonde curls. Her skin color was a milky color with a red undertone due to the blood rushing through her veins. She was pretty though with her thin, red lips, big dark brown eyes, and thin eyebrows. Her elegantly slim figure was emphasized by her fitted crop top and the skater skirt along with a pair of black combat boots. My mind immediately screamed "new friend" as I approached her. I pulled a smile up on my face as I got closer.

"Hello," I told her once I finally reached my locker. The girl looked up from the task she was doing with her big, dangerously brown eyes and smiled shyly at me.

"Hi," she replied, her voice fairly soft and innocent. I held out my hand to her.

"I'm Amy Rose. I'm new here." The girl's shy smile grew as she shook my hand. Immediately, I took notice of her moist, soft hand. My vampire senses tingled as her flowery scent filled my nose. I bit down on my unsharpened fangs to fight off whatever bloody thoughts were trying to fill my mind.

"I'm Cream Peterson. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Cream smiled wider as I turned to my locker to put my combination in. I set my book bag down on the ground and began to unload all my notebooks and such.

"Where did you move here from?"

"Washington," I replied quickly although my implicit memory was threatening to scream something totally different. My parents had run through the whole background scenario with Adrian and I. We were from Seattle, Washington; we moved here because my father got a job transfer. While Adrian had rolled his eyes at the sound, I just shrugged. It was a realistic excuse since they still didn't exactly tell us why we moved here in the first place. Sure, they tried to say that they just wanted to put us back into society but both Adrian and my inner self felt as though something else was going on. The thought of whatever forces Adrian was running from getting close to us made my stomach churn. At least we were safe now.

"Wow. That's a big climate change, huh? Isn't it a bit chilly up there and rainy?"

"Very. I like it much better here. I'm a big fan of the sun."

"Me too but you couldn't tell considering how pale I am. My mother is half Irish and it shows dramatically on both of our skin. You're really tan for a girl who used to live where the sun rarely shines."

"Oh, my mother was Italian and my father was a mix Caucasian and African-American; I'm naturally tan." Cream nodded, her eyes lighting up with admiration.

"Lucky you," she said. "Let me see your schedule. Maybe we'll have a few classes together." I dug out my schedule from my bag and handed it to her. Her chocolate eyes scanned over the paper, her soft smile growing as optimism filled her expression. "We have homeroom through fifth together," she said happily. A smile came upon my own lips at the sound of that. This girl seemed to be a potential friend for me so I couldn't help but to be happy. We could turn into really good friends with all the time we'll spend together on a daily basis.

Cream chatted with me about simple interests and such as we sat in homeroom. It turned out that we both had a love of reading and she was also a big romance fan. She was also an artist. She showed me some of her drawings in her notebook as well as some pictures of paintings she had done. "Art is gonna change the world one day," she said to me as we walked together to first period AP Literature. "I know that I sound like a hippie but I'm just a girl with big, visionary dreams."

"Aren't we all," I asked with a smile. Cream's urban chatter kept me awake as we got through our first two classes. In third period Latin, I introduced her to Blaze who was regarding her curiously as we walked in together. If I wasn't mistaken, I could've sworn that I saw a hint of jealousy in her eyes. However, once she got talking to Cream, she began to like her just as much as I did. Both of them were very talkative so they kept each other occupied while I looked around curiously at lunch. The massive room was filled with kids of all grades whose voices buzzed through my ears. I managed to tune most of them out since it was a bit loud and focus on my friends' conversation about their summer activities. Just as Blaze was explaining her adventurous trip to Brazil in July, the very scent I'd been trying hard to avoid thinking about filled my nose.

I bit down on my unsharpened fangs as I took more notice to what the scent held. Sandalwood…peaches…and the last strong smell that I couldn't identify. God he smelled good. Reluctantly, I turned my head in the direction of where the smell was coming from. My eyes immediately caught his light green ones once more – or at least for a moment before he quickly looked away. His smell began to tug at me once more, begging me to go over and talk to him. But I didn't want to talk to him. He was surrounded by a bunch of handsome boys who seemed to be talking happily about something. All of them – besides him – were smiling and laughing. He, on the other hand, was smirking and nodding along to whatever his friends were saying. He seemed distracted yet he was trying hard not to let it show.

The blonde boy sitting next to him patted his shoulder as he said something to him that caused his smirk to grow into a grin. My sensitive eyes caught sight of shiny white teeth as he did so.

I felt a foot kick my leg from under the table. I jumped and looked over at Blaze who was shooting me a small frown. I smiled shyly causing her to roll her eyes. She shook her head lightly as she engaged back into conversation with Cream, this time trying to get me to speak as well. Just as I was about to open my mouth, I heard a chair pull up next to me. I quickly turned my head to see a gorgeous girl with coffee colored skin, bouncy auburn curls of hair, dark blue colored eyes, and plump red lips. Her decorated eyes regarded me curiously as she tilted her head. "Who may you be," she asked, her voice harboring a soft Brazilian accent. "And why haven't we met before?" I opened my mouth to answer, the girl's questions catching me off guard since she said them so quickly.

"Um, I'm new here. My name's Amy," I answered as I blinked a couple of times. Although I was getting over the shock of her popping out of nowhere, I was falling into awe of how beautiful she was. Despite the makeup she was wearing, I could tell that she was a beautiful girl with her perfectly arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, and slightly slanted eyes.

"Amy, hi, I'm Sally," she said as she held her hand out to me. I shook it as she continued to speak. "You are so beautiful. Honestly, I don't think I've seen a prettier girl step into this school." She suddenly looked to Cream and Blaze who were giving the girl small frowns. "No offense to you guys." She then looked back to me and smiled. "You should sit with me and my friends sometime. We are a lot of fun and we could use another pretty face like you in our circle."

"Um, sure. Okay." Sally's smile widened in a catlike manner as her eyes flashed with victory.

"We're going to be great friends. See you around, Amy." Then just as soon as she came, the gorgeous girl was gone. She got up and practically skipped down to a table where other gorgeous girls were sitting. I raised an eyebrow as I looked back to my friends whose eyes had followed her.

"Um, who is she?" I asked.

"The devil's mistress," Cream said, her soft voice taking a hard turn. Blaze smiled at her statement.

"You; I like you," she told Cream. She then turned back to me. "That's Sally Acorn aka the she-devil of the school. She has the face of an angel but on the inside, she's pure evil. Literally, the girl has ruined more than enough lives and I've only known her for three years."

"I've known her since preschool. That girl is straight evil. She used to rip the heads off of other girls' dolls just to see them cry," Cream said. "It's just in her blood."

"She was pretty nice to me," I said sheepishly as I tugged on a lock on my hair.

"That's because you're drop dead gorgeous," Cream said. "She recruits girls with faces like yours and turns them into her little minions."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about her recruiting you though," Blaze said. "You're not the type to fall into her little games." I nodded, shooting them both a strong smile. The rest of lunch went by pretty smoothly as I changed the topic of conversation and we all moved on from the subject. Cream and I once again chatted while in our AP Chemistry class before Blaze took over and I spent the next two periods with her. My last class of the day was Algebra 2 – not too shabby of a class. Blaze and Cream told me that the teacher I'd gotten was pretty laid back so I shouldn't have it too hard in there.

As I walked into the room, the first thing that I caught was the strong scent of sandalwood and peaches. The scent overwhelmed my nostrils, fighting its way into my system. My eyes darted to the back of the room where he was sitting, his green eyes fastened on me. His mouth was pulled into a tight frown, his arms were folded across his chest, and there was an invisible "fuck off" sign on his forehead. The expression scared me a bit. That's funny considering I am a vampire and could very well easily throw him out a window if I wished. The thought of my tiny self throwing him caused a small smile to come across my lips.

"Amy Rose," I heard a male voice say. I turned my head to see a tall, lean man with glasses hovering over me. He smiled in a friendly manner. "I'm Mr. Shepard; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," I replied as I shot him a smile. He picked up a textbook from his desk and handed it to me.

"Here's your textbook. Your seat is just in front of Mr. Ramirez, there." He pointed to the empty seat in front of the emerald eyed boy. Oh God. I felt my face lose its color as I forced a smile on my face and thanked the teacher. I then turned around and began to walk to my seat. His scent eagerly took hold of me, pulling me into its sweet atmosphere. I bit down on my back teeth as I sat down in my seat. I straightened up my composure as I listened to Mr. Shepard talk about the class and what we were going to be doing. He explained that since we were a more advanced class, we would be moving at a fast pace and doing more difficult problems so he welcomes us to ask questions and come to him for help if we needed it. Basically, he said all of the things my teachers in my previous classes had said already. Plus, he left room for us to talk for the last ten minutes of the period. That didn't sit too well with me though. I didn't see any familiar faces in this class and no one seemed to want to drift away from their friends to talk to me. I was left alone…well not completely. The light green eyed boy was still sitting behind me, his scent wafting lightly through my nose. I grinded my teeth together as I gave into the scent's welcoming smell and turned around.

He was doodling in his notebook before he looked up, his green eyes alert. I smiled at him. "Hi. I'm Amy Rose. I'm new here. What's your name," I asked, making my voice as polite and sweet as possible. The boy's perfect eyebrows immediately shot up into an arch. _That's so hot_, the thought shot through my head faster than the speed of light. I had to press my teeth together to make sure it didn't come out of my mouth.

"None of your business," he replied. His voice was deep with a strong Hispanic accent laced into it. While my girly, romance loving part wanted to bask in how hot it was, I couldn't help but to be taken aback by his response. What did I do to him?

"Well, I'm sorry someone crapped in your cereal today," I shot back. The words came out my mouth before I could think about them, causing me to slam my lips shut in surprise. Where did that come from? I mentally glared at my implicit memory that seemed to have taken a hold over this conversation.

"Kitten's got claws," he replied as a small smirk came upon his lips. "Watch out cause the wolf's got more than just claws." His voice took a dark turn as he said this, causing a shiver to go down my spine.

"What's that? A bark with no bite?" Oh my God, where is this coming from? And why am I enjoying it? A flash of my old self smiling deviously came before me and I realized that my old personality was starting to resurface. I was starting to become me again. The thought warmed my heart but also instilled a bit of fear since now this boy was glaring at me.

"You don't want to play with me, kitten."

"No, I believe that it's you who doesn't want to play with me…wolf." The last word came out awkwardly and I had to admit that I lost a bit of my fire as I said it. However, the boy seemed to find it amusing. His full lips tugged upwards slightly.

"Sonic," he said whispered so low that my vampire ears could barely pick it up. "Sonic Ramirez. I wish that I could say that it was nice to meet you, Amy." My stomach fluttered as he said my name. His foreign tongue rolled the m in my name while the last syllables were purred in his throat. I wanted to bask in how nice it had sounded but again I was thrown into the realization of what he'd said. I placed my own glare on my face as I stared back at him.

"I wish that I could say that it's been a pleasure, Sonic." The bell suddenly rang. We both got out of our seats at the same time, our eyes still locked in a glare-down. "I hope not to see you around," I told him.

"Right back at you," he said as I turned on my heel and walked away. His scent loomed in my nose as I headed into the hallway. It tempted me to turn back around and continue our small banter of insults. But then again there would always be the next day…and the next. This year in math class, I was going to be busy arguing with a handsome but rude boy. Sounds like fun.

Blaze was waiting for me at my locker when I got there, staring aimlessly at the mortals around us. "I partially agree with you," I told her as I approached her. Her topaz eyes flicked to me as a small smile appeared on my face. "This place is a bit like Hell." She smiled widely.

"I told you." I giggled but shook my head at her. We hurried down to her car where our younger siblings were waiting. Olivia seemed to beam with excitement as she rambled on about her day while we were riding home. Adrian, on the other hand, stayed quiet and kept his gaze locked on the outside world that was passing us by. I wanted to ask him what was wrong but I knew that he wouldn't tell me in front of Blaze and Olivia. I just had to wait until we were home.

Thankfully, my parents actually weren't in the house when Blaze dropped us off. They had left us a note saying that they had gone for a quick run to the store for some food. I took opportunity at their absence and jumped right on Adrian's case. "Are you alright," I asked as I balanced an apple in my hands. My brother was sitting on the counter, a bottle of blood at his lips. He drunk it eagerly, his eyes closed as the euphoric sensation filled him.

"I'm fine," he replied simply as he licked his lips.

"How was your day? Did you make any friends?"

"It was fine and I talked to a few people." I tilted my head at him.

"Just a few?"

"Yea. Olivia's guy friends are pretty cool, I guess." He shrugged. "I can honestly say that I did try to make friends." He looked down at his half-filled bottle of blood as his eyes started to soften.

"It's hard…isn't it? Moving on?" The sides of his mouth tightened as he nodded.

"It just feels so strange. I used to walk up and down those hallways all the time and I'd feel right at home but now…" He shook his head. "It's a whole different place." I frowned.

"I'm sorry. I understand that this is all hard for you, I do. I also appreciate that you're trying to start over but if you can't do it here…"

"We can't leave, Ames," he said quickly. "As much as I hate the nostalgia I feel in this house and in this town, I will admit that it's safe here. I took the time to snoop around and check the neighborhoods. I didn't smell any vampires beside Olivia and Blaze. We should be safe for a while if we lay low."

"Adrian…can I ask you a question?" He nodded. "What you went through…before my parents found you…how bad was it?"

"It was Hell," he replied lowly. "The experience is one that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy." He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "You shouldn't worry about me, Ames. We're safe…for now. Just try to keep that in mind."

"I am. I think that you should try giving yourself the same advice." Adrian shrugged before going back to indulging in his afternoon snack.

The next morning, I was awoken out of my deep sleep by the boisterous beeping of my alarm clock. I groaned as I pulled my pillow over my head. I tried to ignore the continuous sound but my enhanced ears couldn't tone it out. It was too close and too loud. In my groggy state, I began to get annoyed. I wanted it to stop so that I could go back to sleep. In my mind, I begged for it to stop and for it not to be time to wake up. I was so tired. I'd spent the night before with my family, discussing our days and what their plan was for our time here. My parents talked about helping me get my license and eventually buying me a car. They also discussed school activities that Adrian and I were allowed to be in and set some ground rules in general. It was a pretty peaceful night but we'd stayed up for most of it. I just wanted to make up for the lost hours.

_Beep Beep Bee-_

Without thinking, I shot up in my bed and moved my hand to hit my alarm clock. I didn't feel my hand hit the clock but I did feel some sort of intense pressure in my palm. Not too long after I felt the pressure, I saw my red alarm clock fly across the room and hit the wall. I stared at the object for a moment as my jaw dropped to the floor.

The alarm clock was completely burnt to almost a crisp with a cracked screen and a small sliver of smoke arising from it. I looked down at my hand to see that a small, purple flame was dancing in my palm. About a second after I noticed it, the flame withered away, leaving my palm bare once more. I stared, bewildered, at my seemingly normal hand. My mind was spinning with shock as I opened my mouth to do the one thing that teenage girls usually do when something unnatural happens to them.

I screamed bloody murder.

**REVIEW IF YOU WISH!**


	6. Act Natural

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 5: Act Natural**

As soon as the ear-splitting scream left my lips, my acute ears heard a loud ruffle of movement come from the room across from me. My door bust open before Adrian ran in, his emerald eyes wide with panic. He looked around the room quickly before his fearful eyes landed on me. He immediately sped over to me, wrapping me up in his arms. "Ames, what's wrong? Are you alright? Are you hurt," he asked quickly as his grip on me tightened. My fear slowly diminished in my brother's tight, reassuring hug. My breathing began to slow and I wrapped my slender arms around him.

"My clock," I murmured. Adrian turned his head to look at the demolished alarm clock that lay on the floor. "I…I didn't mean it. I just…it was beeping and I was getting annoyed so I raised my hand to turn it off and…"

"Shit," Adrian murmured lowly.

"Kids, kids, are you alright," my mother asked as she ran into the room. My father appeared behind her a second after. Both of them looked disheveled and fear stricken – just as Adrian did. I had to remind myself that I had woken them up by screaming so loud. I blushed deeply in embarrassment. The blush didn't last long as my subconscious reminded me the real reason of why they were all so worried. My mother had told me before that there was an evil out there. I wasn't sure if it would ever find me but apparently my family was overly worried that it would. I leaned my head on my brother's shoulder as I closed my eyes. Immediately the image of Adrian, dirty and bloody as he struggled in my father's grasp, flashed behind my eyelids. My grip on him tightened. _My poor baby brother, _my implicit memory cooed. I sighed as I tried to push back the guilt that was once again trying to resurface.

"She's fine," Adrian spoke for me. "She just blasted her clock with her hand." I opened my eyes to see my parents' reactions and immediately I regretted that I didn't. My father's face became somber, his dark green eyes flashing a bright shade of ruby. His mouth set into a thin frown as his once ruby eyes began to fill with anger. My mother, on the other hand, looked devastated. Her mouth had fallen open as did her hazel eyes fill with tears. She put her hand over her mouth and shook her head. I threw my face into my brother's shoulder, my stomach twisting in fear. What exactly had I done? "The two of you still think ignorance is going to keep her safe?"

"Adrian, this is not the time-" my father started.

"Not the time? Richard, look at what she just did! She deserves to at least know what she is." I picked my head up and looked at my brother's scowling face. I immediately took notice of the absence of his younger features and the new presence of his mature posture. _He looks just like daddy, _my small inner voice murmured.

"What I am," I asked softly. "There's more?" Adrian looked down at me and his eyes immediately softened. With a sigh, he nodded.

"Much more," he murmured. He pulled me closer and pecked a kiss at my forehead. My implicit conscious frowned at the action, recalling a time when I once used to do this for him whenever he was scared or upset. A part of me didn't like the way our roles had switched. He was supposed to be young and carefree. He didn't deserve to be taking charge of all this. He shouldn't be taking care of me. I should be taking care of him. Wasn't that what older siblings were for?

"The two of you should get dressed," my mother said faintly. "You'll need to be on your way to school soon." Adrian's head immediately snapped up and I could sense his glare form on his face.

"You're sending us to school," he asked. "Are the two of you fucking crazy? You're really going to send her out with mortals with something that she may not know how to control? What happens if she blows someone's head off next?" I flinched lightly in his grasp.

"Adrian, we understand your concerns but we can't just take the two of you out of school. If we're going to keep up this charade then we're going to have to follow the routine."

"We don't have to keep up a charade," Adrian said bitterly. "We're not normal so why try acting as if we are?"

"Just trust us, for once, will you," my mother said softly. "We will explain everything to her when the two of you get home. I promise." She smiled weakly. "Go get dressed. I'll take care of Amy from here." Adrian looked down at me, seemingly hesitant to let me go. His emerald eyes were soft with fear hidden deep within them. I forced a small smile up at him.

"I'm okay," I whispered. I nodded in an attempt to reinforce my statement. Adrian's lips tightened a bit at the sides but he slowly began to let me go. He didn't look at my parents as he walked out the room. He simply kept his eyes down as they once again turned a darker shade of their emerald color. A sigh escaped my lips as I watched him go. Before my implicit emotions could spread their guilt across my body, my mother grabbed my hand and tugged me to stand up. I stared at her warm face in confusion.

"What do you wanna wear today," she asked, smiling softly at me. I crinkled my eyebrows together as I became even more confused. Did she not see the demolished clock that still lay on my floor? Did she not recognize what I just did? Adrian sure did. So why didn't she? Were we supposed to just act as if the strange things I did didn't happen after the fact? Then again, my parents had been kind of doing that already. I hadn't been paying attention to it before but now I realized that my craving for mortal food and my unexplainable amnesia were not normal yet my parents had been ignoring it. Was this really the right way to be handling things? I shook off my skeptical feelings as I shot a smile back at my mother. They were my caregivers; they knew what they were doing. I had to trust them.

My mother helped me change into a comfortable outfit consisting of a fitted blue tee shirt, a pair of jean shorts, and a pair of blue high top sneakers. My mother pulled my hair up into a high ponytail with some tendrils hanging down from the sides of my head to frame my face. Despite my simple attire, I somehow managed to look unnaturally beautiful. I guessed that it had something to do with the vampire DNA that now lay in my body. Most of the vampires I'd seen were beautiful as well. The good looks just had to be normal.

When I got downstairs, my brother was sitting at the table dressed in his usual attire of jeans, a tee, and sneakers. He was texting rapidly on his phone, his emerald eyes still dark. Before I or my mother could say something, a honk sounded from outside. Adrian immediately sped out of the kitchen to the driveway where I could hear Blaze and her sister chatting. My brother's voice joined theirs after a second, his tone low and serious. I blushed in embarrassment as I realized that he was probably telling them about what I'd done to my alarm clock. My mother rubbed my shoulders. "Don't worry, sweetie," she assured me. "We'll explain everything once you get home. Just try not to stress too much." She kissed my temple. "Have a good day."

"Thank you," I told her weakly before heading outside to Blaze's car. When I hopped into the front seat, I quickly noticed the tense atmosphere. It consumed me in the similar way that Sonic's scent seemed to do. The exception with this was that I didn't want to indulge in it. I wanted to run as far as I could away from it.

Blaze didn't speak as she drove to school. She kept her topaz eyes on the road, her plump lips pressed in a thin line. My brother and Olivia didn't speak either. Instead, they sat there in silence with their hands intertwined and their eyes directed out their windows. Olivia had a small frown on her lips that expressed her worry. I mentally sighed in my head. I really did not plan for my second day of school to start out this way. I was actually excited to go back to school and adjust more into the new routine. I wanted this whole arrangement to work. I wanted my life to be as normal as it possibly could be. I guess that wasn't happening now since I had to go off and blast my stupid alarm clock.

"What did Adrian say to you guys," I asked as Blaze and I walked up the stairway to the second floor. Blaze glanced at me as her lips tightened.

"I can't tell you," she said lowly. "Adrian told us not to. He doesn't want you to be any more freaked out and scared than you already are."

"You're really going to listen to Adrian?" She shrugged.

"I don't want you to be any more freaked out either." We came through the double doors out into the hallway. She gave me a small hug. "I'll see you in third period, okay?" I nodded and gave her a weak smile.

Cream was at her locker when I got to mine. She was putting her books into her book bag but she looked up when I grabbed hold of my lock. She offered me a smile. "Hey Amy," she greeted warmly. _Act natural, _a voice inside my head ordered. I followed the voice's orders and returned the smile.

"Hey, Cream. How are you," I asked. Cream's chocolate eyes brightened as she answered my question. She continued to uphold a light-hearted conversation through the rest of the morning as we went through our mornings. I could tell from her efforts that she was trying very hard to keep a smile on my face. I wasn't exactly sure what type of expression I was giving off but I knew that it couldn't have been all too good. Although everyone had told me earlier not to worry about what had happened, I couldn't help but to. If Blaze, who was always optimistic, was worrying then I knew that it had to be something bad. Or maybe it was just so unexpected. In the four years that I'd been awake, I had never shown a sign of having…powers I guess I could say. I didn't even think there was such thing as powers. But then again, I was still so new to this life. There were probably a lot more that came with being a vampire that I had yet to discover.

"Devil's mistress coming at three o' clock," Cream suddenly said causing me to look up from my salad that I had been poking at with my fork. She, Blaze, and I were sitting at a lunch table, talking casually before Cream had come out with the sudden statement. I turned my head to left, expecting to see Sally strutting my way. Instead my eyes caught green ones. His scent immediately bombarded me and I bit down on my teeth so hard that I thought they might break. The scent of peaches stood out more definitively today, making my mouth water. An image of me sinking my teeth into his strong neck flashed behind my eyes and I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from jumping into attack mode. I had realized during the morning that when my mind was distracted, my vampire senses began to dominate my body and thoughts. All day, I was having trouble trying to block out the urge to just sink my teeth into someone. It's not that I was thirsty for blood, I was just frustrated with myself for having powers and needed to let out some steam. Apparently, my vampire side wanted to take out that anger by sucking someone clean of their blood.

Sonics momentary gaze on me was casual as his eyes continued to scan around the cafeteria aimlessly. Once again, his friends were talking animatedly around him though he seemed to not be interested in their conversation. Instead he seemed a bit lost in his thoughts or in another world. His eyes weren't in the present, that's for sure. I leaned my head in the palm of my hand as I briefly wondered what he was thinking about. I didn't have much time to wonder before I heard a chair pull out next to me.

I quickly turned my head to the other side to see Sally sitting next to me with a bright smile on her face. "Hi. Amy, right?" She said as she tilted her head. I nodded and forced a smile at her. "So, Amy, I wanted to formally invite you to my back-to-school party tomorrow night." She held out a pink envelope to me. "It's invitation only but you may bring anyone you want with you." She glanced at my friends. "The invitation has my address, the time, and all that other jazz on it. You absolutely have to come! Tell me that you'll come!" She smiled wider as her sapphire colored eyes sparkled with excitement. I opened my mouth to tell her that I couldn't but then I quickly rethought myself. My mother had told me that we had to continue with the normal charade. That meant that I had to go out and do normal teenage things like going out to a party and making bad decisions. I was sure that there was going to be alcohol at this party. I wasn't an idiot; I watched enough teen drama television shows and movies to know what goes on at those parties.

"I'll be there," I told her with a confident smile. Sally's smile curled slyly as she nodded in victory.

"Good, good. I will see you then, girlfriend." She then got up and sashayed off to another table. I turned back towards my friends who were frowning at me.

"What," I asked as I crinkled my eyebrows in a feigned confusion. Blaze rolled her eyes at me.

"First you're making lovey dovey eyes at him," she nodded her head towards Sonic, "and then you're making friends with the cruelest girl in school. Didn't any of those Netflix shows teach you anything?" I blushed deeply.

"I'm just trying to be nice to Sally. She's only trying to be nice to me. And I was not making lovey dovey eyes at Sonic. I was just…staring." Cream and Blaze shared a look that I couldn't exactly read into. What exactly was so wrong with this boy? Well, other than the fact that he was rude for no reason. Or maybe that was the problem…

"If that's what you want to call it," Blaze said with a soft shrug. She crossed her arms as she waited for me to reply back to her comment. I merely shrugged and went back to poking at my salad. I wasn't really in the mood to argue with her over a boy I barely knew. There were bigger things on my mind than Sonic. I could wait until eighth period to deal with him and his subtly rude comments. Until then, I had better things to distract my mind with.

Blaze didn't mention my so called "lovey dovey" eyes for the rest of the day. Instead she dropped the subject completely and babbled on about some guy she was thinking about dating. Apparently they had been hanging out over the summer as friends and now he was moving into more romantic level with her. I wanted to be hurt that she didn't tell me about her summer romance but I could understand her secrecy. She wasn't sure exactly if he even really liked her. She just knew that she liked him and wanted to take the relationship a step further. I listened tentatively to her stories of their small dates and their common interests. In those stories, I pictured a tall, dark haired, brown-eyed boy who wore glasses and lived in a big house and played soccer on the weekends. The imaginary boy looked cute standing next to my smiling best friend. She was very enthusiastic about this new guy and I will admit that I was happy for her. I just hoped he wouldn't hurt her. Then his neck might be the one I choose to sink my teeth into.

I smelled Sonic before I saw him as I walked into my math class later on that day. His scent eagerly wrapped around me, it's peachy scent luring me to the back of the room where he sat at his desk. His position was similar to the one yesterday with his arms crossed and a flashing "Fuck off" signal flashing on his forehead. There was one exception though: instead of a tight frown, there was a firm line on his face. His lime green eyes were once again fastened on me but this time more casually. I felt myself blush under his gaze and clutched my books tighter against my chest. I slowly walked to my seat, holding his gaze the entire time as I did so. "Hi…wolf," I said, the term once again feeling strange on my tongue.

"Hi kitten," he said simply.

"Are you going to be nice to me today?"

"No," he said quickly. "I was just being polite. You look like shit so I figured I'd give you one suitable statement." I blinked as I took into account what he'd said. He talked pretty fast and with the addition of his strong accent, it was a bit difficult to follow what he was saying. I wanted to comment back at him but I wasn't exactly in the mood to argue with him. It was obvious that our conversation was over anyway when he turned his lime eyes to the teacher who had begun speaking. I sighed as I turned around in my seat. As soon as I turned my back on him, I felt his lime eyes turn their attention back on me. His scent wafted around me softly as the class went on. Mr. Shepard lectured a bit on our first topic of the year before giving us a few examples on the board and then let the bell dismiss us. As I got up, I felt a muscular arm bump my shoulder. I looked up at Sonic who was walking in front of me, his long legs moving quickly towards the door. I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion after him. Was he this mean to everyone? I mean, I'd just met the dude and he was already being an ass. He didn't even know me. How does that work?

Blaze was waiting for me at my locker once again when I got there. She shot me a smile and began chattering on about something as I exchanged my books out. We then retreated back to her car where our siblings waited. Olivia was wrapped up in Adrian's arms, both of them watching the people around them as they made their way to their own cars. I noticed that Adrian's eyes were still a darker shade of their emerald color. A frown took place on my lips as I realized that they only changed colors when he was upset. What in the world was going on?

The drive home was peaceful and unnaturally short. I was dreading to go home and talk with my parents about what had happened the morning before. I had been trying so hard to just forget about the whole thing.

My parents were waiting in the living room when Adrian and I walked in the front door. My stomach took an unpleasant flip as my father motioned for us to sit down on the couch. I obeyed his unspoken command but Adrian shot him a look of defiance and leaned against the arm of the couch. My brother crossed his arms as one of his eyebrows raised. "You gonna tell her now?" He asked. My parents exchanged a worried expression before my father opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm telling her what we feel is necessary that she knows due to her…incident this morning," he said as he turned his dark green eyes to me. "Amy, how much do you know about vampires?"

"Um, not a lot," I said sheepishly. "I've read books about them but we're nothing like the creatures they described in the books."

"That's because we're not those creatures. The vampires that the humans formed in their minds are merely a small ounce of knowledge that they managed to obtain from the hunters. The only universal piece of that knowledge is the fact that we have to drink blood to survive. The rest is…the rest depends on the vampire."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He means," Adrian said, "that there isn't one distinct type of vampire." He crinkled my eyebrows in confusion. "Just as each human is different, so is each vampire."

"There are five races of vampires," Richard said, causing me to look back at him. "There are the Chrestotes, like your mother and I, who are the kind and loving vampires. Our job is to take in young vampires like you and your brother, raise them in a way, and help them to find their own purpose."

"A purpose?" I asked.

"Yes. We all have a purpose or a calling when we come into this life. Your mother and I's purpose was to take care of the vampire youth until they were able to take care of themselves and make the right decisions." Amber came to sit next to me, wrapping her slim arms around me. "The second are the Bana. They are the ones whom your brother escaped from. They are the most…unlikeable vampires."

"They're fucked up is what they are," Adrian muttered under his breath.

"They make very easy traps," my father warned. "They're very much into seduction, smooth talking, and everything like that. But they are very demented if you tick them off the wrong way. Some are worse off than others but their leader is the worst of the worst."

"They have a leader?"

"I will get to that. The third are the Phronimos. They are the wise, intelligent vampires. Most of them usually hide away with the humans in laboratories and help them expand their world in terms of science and technology. The fourth are the Normo. They are the normal vampires who don't really have much a purpose. They are merely around to help out the other four races with their tasks. Most of them live amongst the humans, acting like them and living multiple lives. Olivia and Lyla are normos. They are there to help you and your brother in fulfilling both of your purposes. The last is a name that there is no real origin name for since it's still a fairly new breed. Instead there is the only the true words for what it is: guardian warriors."

"Guardian warriors," I asked as my both became a bit dry. "Am I… Are Adrian and I?"

"Yes. Both of you are guardian warriors. Your purpose is to watch over the human race and protect them from whatever harm may come to them. Guardian warriors usually have powers like you experienced earlier so don't be alarmed, Arielle. There is nothing wrong with your powers; more of them will come in time. Some guardian warriors also, in very rare cases, have a specific human or a specific bloodline that they are meant to protect. They sometimes either act a as a close friend to the human or an invisible benevolent angel. It all depends on the vampire's choice."

"So, what I did earlier…there's nothing bad attached to it?" Richard opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again.

"It's not that it's bad thing," Adrian said from beside me. "It's just that the Bana are…they're collecting vampires like us."

"Collecting?"

"Well, more like kidnapping and storing but same concept." I shuddered.

"Why? What would they want with vampires like us?"

"The Bana have powers, like we do but their leader, Cayden Erebos, is trying to build an army."

"An army? An army for what?"

"To get rid of all the other vampire races and eventually make the humans into all his and his clans' little blood slaves." Adrian shook his head. "The dude is crazy."

"We had to leave Washington because one of his armies was closing in on the area we were living in. They were trying to track down Adrian in hopes of finding both him and you. That's why we had to move here. There hasn't been much vampire activity at all around here. Since this is a widely mortally populated area, most vampires distance themselves away from it so that they won't be tempted into causing a blood fest," Richard said. "The two of you should be safe here."

My mind was spinning as I tried to take in what my father and brother had just told me. I was…I was some type of guardian warrior to protect humankind? What kind of reality am I living in? From the books I'd read, there was no such thing as vampires with powers or with purposes or any of that. I mean, I know that the humans probably haven't been close enough to us to really figure us out but I couldn't believe that they were so ignorant of what we could do. No wonder the vampire apocalypse took the human world by surprise; they weren't prepared for what they were fighting against.

An image flashed behind my eyes of my father – my biological father – handing me a loaded gun. Adrian was standing behind him, his eyes wide with worry and fear as he held a rifle in his hand. "Use this," his voice rang in my head. "it will distract them and give you some time to run."

"But dad," Adrian's still childlike voice rang from behind him. My brother looked so much younger in this image. He was still scrawny and his eyes were filled with youthful innocence.

"Dammit Adrian, for once just do what I say," my father said. He grabbed both my brother and I by our shoulders and pulled us to him. "Both of you just do what I say. I need the two of you to be safe. I need you two to come out of this alive."

I blinked out of the small scene to look up at Adrian. He was staring down at me with a small frown on his face and his emerald eyes watery. My own eyes watered up as well as a heavy lump formed in throat. I looked away from my brother to the floor. "May I be excused…please," I said lowly.

"Of course, sweetie," my mother said softly. The second the words left her mouth, I used my vampire speed to run up into my room. I shut the door behind me and collapsed down onto my bed. I wasn't exactly sure when the tears began to fall but once they did, they came down hard. Images of my old life swam around my head as my situation finally hit me. My parents, my love, myself…I had lost all of that. I wasn't Amy anymore. Sure, I looked like her and I sounded like her and maybe I acted a bit like her but I wasn't her. I never would be her again. Whoever changed me into a vampire killed the girl I used to be. The innocent, sassy, popular, beautiful soul that didn't deserve the fatal ending that came to her. My biological parents…the beautiful souls who I can't remember but whom my heart says were the best parents I could ask for…they didn't deserve to die. Adrian didn't deserve to be hardened and scarred by whatever torture the Bana put him through – not at his young age. And Scourge…poor, poor Scourge was probably still going through that torture. The person the old me once knew was gone, my family had been trying to tell me that. He was a new person. The smiling boy in the pictures didn't deserve. None of our smiling souls made it through this process.

I don't know how long I cried but I do know that at one point, Adrian came in and held me close to me as I sobbed. He let his own tears fall as he hugged me tightly.

"I'm sorry," I croaked to him between my tears. "I'm so sorry." I pulled my head away from his chest and hugged him against my own. He shrunk in my grasp, turning back into the young teenager that he was. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve this life. He deserved to be innocent and happy and free. Why…why didn't they take him instead of me? Why did they have to save me instead of my little brother? He should be the one who was sane, not me. I would've been okay if I'd woken up wherever he was. I would've made it through. Adrian didn't…he wasn't meant to endure whatever torture he was put through. "I promise they won't hurt you again," I whispered into his messy hair. "I promise that I won't let them hurt you again." Adrian's small sobs got a bit louder as he hugged me tighter.

We sat there together, crying for most of the night before we both fell asleep. When I awoke, Adrian wasn't by my side. Immediately, I felt my heartbeat began to pick up as I tried to figure out where he could've gone. Before I could call out for him, my room door opened and my brother poked his head in. His face was hard once more, all vulnerability that he'd shown the night before had vanished. He looked like the Adrian who had struggled in my father's arms the first day he'd been brought to our old house. Tears threatened to brim as my realization of how broken he was came back. My poor, poor baby brother.

"Get dressed," he said simply. "Amber and Richard are making us go to school." I nodded once and got up out of my bed. I tried to shake off my somber funk as I tried to make myself as presentable as possible. I dressed myself in a flowy orange sundress with a pair of wedges and wrestled my hair into a cute ponytail. I even experimented a bit more with some eyeliner and mascara before going downstairs. Although I didn't feel much better, I still forced a smile upon my face as I walked into the kitchen. Adrian was picking over his food while my parents were huddled together by the stove, talking in soft whispers. I ate my breakfast quietly with my brother before Blaze came to pick us up.

Our friends tried to keep our moods light as they chattered on. Olivia kept flirting with Adrian in the back seat by cooing to him, kissing his cheeks, and attaching her body to his. She kept trying desperately to get him to smile but it seemed that the only thing he was offering her was the simple upward tug of his lips. It would only last for a moment before it fell once more. Blaze was animated with conversation for me and I had to say that I was thankful to have her. Although our talk about celebrities and movies didn't really mean anything, it diverted my mind away from the dark thoughts it still harbored.

Once at school, Blaze put me in the hands of Cream who must've sensed my upset mood. Just as she did the day before, she kept up the light mood by joking around and chattering on about nonsense. I didn't mind though. She was trying to help and for that I was grateful.

"So, are you going to go to Sally's party tonight," Blaze asked as we all sat at our lunch table. My eyes widened as I opened my mouth to speak.

"Honestly, I forgot all about it," I replied.

"We should go." I raised an eyebrow at my best friend. "You deserve to have some fun." I blushed softly as I got what she was hinting at. My emotions had been hit pretty hard the night before. Maybe a fun night with my friends was something that I needed. I overheard Olivia inviting Adrian to sleep over in the car so he wasn't going to be home to keep me company. I might as well go.

"Okay. Sounds cool."

"Are you gonna come, Cream," Blaze asked our blonde-haired friend. Cream shrugged.

"Parties aren't really my thing. You two should go on ahead without me."

"You sure," I asked her as I crinkled my eyebrows together in concern. She nodded and shot me a smile.

"You two have fun." Blaze and I exchanged a concerned expression but both shrugged our shoulders. I could tell from the sound of her voice that there was something more to what she was telling us but I didn't want to push on what it was. We were still getting to know each other. She would tell me what was going on with her when she was ready.

The rest of the school day flew by pretty quickly. It wasn't long before I was walking into my eighth period and the scent of sandalwood and peaches was once again wafting through my nose. My gaze went to Sonic who was sitting in his seat. His arms were once again crossed and his signature "fuck off" sign was flashing on his forehead. His lime eyes rose to me as I approached my seat. "Is it worth it to speak to you," I asked as I sat down in my seat.

"Hi to you too, kitten," he said. I raised my eyebrows in feigned surprise.

"Wow, an actual greeting today. We are making progress." He rolled his eyes.

"Shut up and turn around."

"Someone's bossy today," I said as I held up my hands. "Does someone crap in your cereal often?" He glared at me, his mouth turning into a tighter line. "I will take that as a yes," I murmured as I turned around in my seat. Mr. Shepard's lecture went by smoothly and the bell rang before I knew it. As I stood up, I accidentally bumped into Sonic. The small bump threw me a bit off guard and I tipped over a bit with all my books in my hand. Before I could fall face-first into the ground, I felt strong hands grab my waist. The contact sent an army of butterflies up into my stomach. I blushed deeply as I looked up at Sonic who was steadying me on my feet. His lime eyes were on my face, his mouth turning almost into an amused smile. As soon as he realized I was staring back at him, his semi-smile fell into a frown.

"Watch where you're going," he barked at me as he quickly released me. My skin tingled from where his hands once were on my waist.

"You watch where you're going," I replied, trying to mimic his signature facial expression. He noticed my effort and once again his lips threatened to tug up into a smile.

"Oh I will," he said before turning and walking away. I straightened my composure and walked behind him out the classroom. As soon as I was out the doorway, I darted down the hall to where Blaze waited. She dropped Adrian and Olivia off at her house first before driving us down to my house. We watched television for a couple hours as we waited until it was time to get ready for the party.

"Okay, it's seven," Blaze said as she shot up from her seat. She smiled deviously at me. "It's time to make you into a hot tamale."

"Should I be scared," I asked her. Her smile widened.

"Very," she said simply before tugging me out my seat and dragging me up to my bedroom. I showered first before she began to work on me. First she used my makeup to decorate my face with dark colors that emphasized my elegantly shaped eyes and my plump lips. When she was finished, I had dark eyes with cat eye sides, red outlined cheekbones, and frosted red lips. She immediately went to work on my hair with a curling iron. She gave me a mane of sexy, untamable curls that framed my face perfectly. For my dress, she had picked out a fitted, spaghetti strapped black dress that was outlined with lace and silk. The dress hugged all of my curves and expressed my hour glass figure. She paired the look off with a pair of red bottom stilettos that we'd brought on our trip to the mall before school started. I had to admit that I looked like a seductive goddess once she was all done with me. I wished I could work on her but she was way better at this girly stuff than I was. She looked gorgeous once she was done with herself though. She had thrown on a fitted, halter top gold dress that hugged her body and showed off her booty. Her eyes were decorated in neutral but bold golds and browns and her lips were frosted in a caramel colored gloss. She curled her hair into big, bouncy curls that fell around her body like a halo. She looked beautiful.

We crept out past my parents and to her car where I gave her the directions to Sally's house via my cell phone's GPS. Sally lived a good ten to fifteen minutes away from me in a huge, white mansion where loud music sounded and teens were all over the property. Their sweet smells swarmed around me as Blaze and I approached her front door. There was a big, buff guy there wearing a black outfit. He eyed Blaze and I as I handed him the invitation. He looked over the paper before nodding and opening the door for us. "I would've let you guys in anyway," he admitted with a shrug. Blaze giggled while I blushed as we walked inside.

Immediately, I was thrown into a pool of people and neon flashing lights. The bodies around me were dancing to the loud, provocative music with red cups in their hands. I kept hold of Blaze's hand as we weaved through the sea of people to get to the kitchen where Blaze said they were serving drinks. As I looked around, I noticed a lot of people doing more than just dancing. Plenty of couples were making out against the wall or on the couches while other kids were playing spin the bottle games on the floor or talking animatedly.

In the kitchen, my nose was hit with the familiar scent of peaches and sandalwood. What was he doing here? I looked around in confusion until I spotted him leaning against the island talking to a blonde haired boy that sat at his lunch table. There was a red cup in his hand in which he drank tentatively from. He was dressed in a fitted black tee with a pair of jeans. Despite his simple outfit, I couldn't help but think of how…good he looked. The shirt emphasized his muscular torso and his biceps were bulging out beneath the short sleeves of the shirt. My eyes went to his neck where his pulse beat moderately. I bit down on my unsharpened fangs as his smell grew stronger in my nose.

"Here," Blaze said as she handed me a red cup. "It's orange juice and vodka. Just something to get you started before you go hammering out on anything else."

"Vodka? You mean…alcohol?"

"Yup." I raised an eyebrow. "Hey, we're immortal. Might as well drink up while we can." I shook my head but took a small sip of the drink. I was surprised at the taste since to me it tasted just like orange juice. However, I could taste the small flavor of the alcohol mixed into the drink. I liked it. I downed the rest of the drink quickly while Blaze conversed with some boys who were standing beside us. Blaze kept filling me up on drinks to the point where I knew that I was drunk. I could tell because my tense thoughts had been thrown out the window. My mind was now filled with carefree thoughts and all I wanted to do was dance with the guy who had been talking to me. His name was Shiloh and he was cute with his short cute brown hair, deep green eyes, and soft smile. I danced with him for a while in a fun, conservative way before I left him to use the bathroom. When I returned back downstairs, the scent of peaches and sandalwood hit me off guard as I bumped into him.

"Kitten," he said as he grabbed my waist once more and steadied me. I looked up at him to see there was a lopsided grin on his face. His lime eyes were a bit glassy as well and I then knew that he was drunk. I couldn't judge though. I was probably just as drunk as he was.

"Wolf," I replied as a grin came upon my face. "Hey."

"What are you doing here," he asked as he tilted his head. "You shouldn't be here. This is not a place for girls like you." His voice was a bit slurred but I could hear the taunting authority in his voice. I put my hands on my hips.

"Girls like me? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Small," he said simply. He grinned at me. "Bad guys take advantage of small girls like you."

"You forget though, wolf, that this kitten has claws." I held up my freshly manicured nails that Blaze had done while we were watching TV. I swatted playfully at him and hissed. He chuckled at me as he shook his head.

"You are so weird," he told me. His grin then fell a bit and his eyes grew serious. "I like that," he murmured. Immediately, I felt blood rush up my cheeks and butterflies swarm around my stomach. "You wanna dance, kitten?" I nodded causing him to grin again. "Cool." He suddenly grabbed my hand and led me to the dancefloor. His skin was warm and soft as his hand cradled mine. His grip was tight though as he dragged me through the crowd. Once he found a nice space, he let go of my hand and began to move his hips to the beat. My eyes went down to his expert, Latino hips as they moved gracefully to the song. His hands shot out to grab my own hips and move them along to the song. My eyes widened at the contact. Damn, he really was drunk. I shrugged off the fact though and danced along with him. For once he wasn't being mean and I had to admit that I was enjoying dancing with him. His body moved so nicely and he smelled so good.

"There you are baby," I heard a female voice suddenly say. Before I could register anything, Sonic was tugged away from me and a girl with bouncy auburn curls had pressed her lips onto his. I immediately recognized Sally by her hair and her perfect body that was dressed in a skimpy blue dress that barely covered her butt. I didn't really want to think about how she dressed in that moment though. Instead the only thing I could think about was the fact that she was kissing him and he was potentially kissing her back. Something in my chest began to burn as a slow anger built up in me. I felt my mouth turn into a frown and my fists ball up at the sides.

_He's mine_, my mind growled.

"Oh Amy, hey," Sally said as she pulled out of her passionate kiss with Sonic. "I'm so glad you could make it. Thanks for babysitting my boyfriend here. He tends to get a bit too drunk." She draped herself over Sonic whose lime eyes were fixed on me. I wasn't sure what to think of the look he was giving me with his small frown and crinkled eyebrows but I did get the message that Sally was giving me. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Sonic's waist, her sapphire eyes sending daggers at me. Oh, they were together. The thought made me grimace mentally but I managed to shrug it off. I didn't like Sonic anyway and he didn't like me. We were just drunk and we were dancing and we were just having fun. There was nothing more to that.

I merely shot a fake smile to Sally before stumbling off to find my friend. She was still hanging out with Shiloh and his friend, Max, I think his name was. She immediately welcomed me back into their conversation with open arms. "Oh Amy, there you are," she said as she hugged me. "I was getting so worried."

"Sorry. There was a long line for the bathroom," I slurred. "I'm good now."

"Great. Now we can hit the dancefloor!" I giggled as Blaze tugged me back onto the floor with our new guy friends trailing close behind us.

**Review if you wish **


	7. Aftermath

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 6: Aftermath **

The darkness that had once been my friend was back with me again. It swirled around me as if in a tight hug as I welcomed it back with open arms. My unconscious mind wanted to speak to the blackness around me but I couldn't force the words to come out. I wanted to tell the darkness about my experiences in the human world and how I'd come to like the light that it had set me free in. I wanted to thank it for keeping me safe – and sane while I had been unconscious all those years. I wanted to tell it to stay for a little while longer. I wanted to tell it that I missed it and that I wished it could be a part of my daily life.

The darkness didn't swarm around me for too long, maybe a couple of minutes, before it began to push me out to the light once more. A part of me, the part that felt safe in the darkness, wanted to resist against the nudge but another part of me was anxious to go back out into the light. I was ready to go back to the new life that I was living.

Eagerly, maybe a bit too eagerly, I dove into the light and was immediately met with a pounding sensation in my head. Just as I had the first time I'd woken up from the darkness, I felt the cushion of a soft mattress under me and the warmth of a blanket on top of me. A soft groan escaped my lips as the intense pounding of my head continued on. The sensation felt as if someone was playing the drums on top of my head with metal chopsticks. I didn't think I'd ever experienced so much in a simple headache.

My eyes cracked open the slightest bit to see one of the yellow walls in Blaze's room. Thankfully I wasn't facing my window or else the sun would've hit me right in my eyes. That would not have been a very fun experience. I wiggled my hand out from beneath the blanket to put it on my head. As soon as I touched it, the pain increased. How much did I drink the night before? Wait, what exactly happened the night before? Before my memory could even attempt to answer, an image of Sonic and Sally kissing flashed before my eyes. The sight awakened a strong nausea in my stomach as well as the subtle anger that I'd felt when I'd seen them in person. _They were together_… The thought multiplied a million times in my head, causing my headache and nausea to worsen. Out of all things that I could remember from the night before, I had to remember _that_. I couldn't even remember the way Sonic had felt when he'd danced with me or his somewhat friendliness. Someone should've videotaped that scene. Then maybe my conscious brain would be able to believe that he'd actually danced with me. He was always so rude to me. You'd think I ran over the guy's cat or something. But I didn't. Or I don't think I did.

"You awake sleeping beauty," I heard Blaze's voice say. I opened my eyes once more to see her hovering over me, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"I don't want to be," I murmured. "My head hurts and my stomach…"

"Yea, that's called a hangover. Believe it or not but vampires get them too. Here," she held out a bottle of blood to me. "Drink this. It works faster than an aspirin does."

"Thanks," I said as I took the warm bottle from her. I lifted myself up despite the protest in my aching head and put the bottle to my lips. As soon as the blood touched my tongue, the pain in my head began to subside. The familiar euphoric rush that came with drinking blood also filled my body. My eyes fluttered close as the blood recovered my body from its painful state. Once I was finished the bottle, I looked to my best friend who was staring at me with a small, sad smile. The expression touched her topaz eyes that were glazed over with nostalgia. "What," I asked her.

"Nothing," she answered quickly. "It's just…this sort of reminds me of old times?"

"How?"

"Well, we weren't exactly angels, Amy," she said as she sat down next to me on my bed. "We partied way more than you probably would have thought we did. Usually you'd have the least severe of the hangovers while me and-" She cut off suddenly, her eyes widening as if she almost said a bad word. Her small smile fell as she shook her head. "Never mind," she murmured.

"It's okay if you want to talk about him…I understand." I grabbed her hand as I said this and gave it a soft squeeze. Blaze smiled once more as she looked down at our intertwined hands.

"Scourge and I used to get the worst hangovers ever. Almost every weekend, you'd stay over at one of our houses and play nurse. That's what you wanted to be back then…a nurse. You would've been good at that. You were always so caring, so sweet, so gentle… Scourge and I used to wonder why you chose to hang out with us when we were so much more out there than you were." I smiled.

"What were you guys like?"

"Well…I was a bitch." We both laughed. "I'm serious. I was a major bitch to everyone except you and Scourge and my potential boyfriends. I was basically the Sally of our grade. I had some minions, followed through on some schemes, and always looked my best. A lot of people wanted to hate me for being the way I was but they couldn't because of how great you and Scourge were. People figured that I could be friends with the two of you then there had to be a heart somewhere behind the ice wall. But besides that, I was outgoing, sassy, and a big fashionista. I always dressed you when we went out somewhere."

"And Scourge…" Her smile faltered a bit. "Blaze, please don't tell me that I shouldn't be hearing this. I know that he's…he's not the same but I'm curious to figure out who the person that I feel as though a part of me is still attached to."

"You're still in love with him, aren't you," Blaze asked a she tilted her head. Blood immediately rushed to my cheeks as my brain struggled to come up to an answer to that.

"I didn't…I didn't know that we were…in love," I murmured sheepishly as I twirled a piece of hair between my fingers with my free hand. Blaze chuckled as she shook her head.

"Mhmm. But, I guess I can give you some details." I smiled at her as she leaned against the headboard. Her topaz eyes rolled towards the ceiling as they glazed over in thought. "Scourge was definitely the comedian, dare-devil yet total preppy and athletic boy. He always had some type of humorous or smart remark to whatever either one of us said or did. He was always doing something that he was not supposed to do – sort of rebel child, that one. But he was part of a white collar family so he was very sophisticated and smooth with everything he did. It wasn't as if he was all that bad. He was really nice too; he was very extroverted. He loved talking to people and making new friends. He had just been elected class president before the vampires came to town. If things hadn't happened the way they had then maybe, just maybe, he would've been president one day. He wanted to study political science at Yale University. You wanted to follow him there and study nursing. You guys would've been the perfect power couple if that stupid apocalypse never happened."

"What do you think would've been happening right now if we all hadn't been turned into vampires?"

"Well, I would be one of the hottest fashion designers of the era. Before everything, I was lined up to study fashion and marketing up at NYU. I would be married to some very hot business man and we'd have two little babies." A soft smile came upon her lips as her old dream filled her mind. "I wouldn't doubt that you and Scourge would have been married. You wanted an elegant, Victorian era styled wedding with big ball gowns and all that jazz. You would probably be working as a nurse while Scourge probably would've been anything from a mayor to president of the United States. You always wanted a big family so I want to estimate that you guys would probably have about three to five kids. They all would've been the cutest things ever." Blaze's voice began to trail off as her smile once again fell from her face. "Things would've been better," she murmured. I scooted closer to her and lay my head on her shoulder. "We all wouldn't be so different."

"I don't think you're much different from your description…subtracting the bitch part." Blaze let out a small chuckle.

"It may not sound much different but it is…it's a lot different."

"Can I ask you a question…about Scourge?" Blaze raised a concerned eyebrow as she looked down at me. "Promise me that you'll be honest with me."

"Of course, Amy."

"My family won't tell me much about Scourge but from all the hints they're dropping, I can't help but wonder…" Tears began to brim my eyes as my implicit memory flashed the image of the smiling blue eyed boy to me. I closed my eyes as my breath unconsciously began to get shaky. The small part of me…the part that remembered my past nudged me to ask the question. Somehow, I knew that my little implicit memory already knew the answer. "Is he evil," I murmured.

Blaze's breath got caught in her throat as her body tightened under me. A thick silence fell over us as the unspoken answer loomed through the atmosphere. "I…I'm sorry, Amy. At first I didn't think…I didn't know he'd changed… All I knew was that you were unconscious and bleeding and you were in his arms and Adrian…poor, poor Adrian…" her breath shook. "He was so traumatized. Scourge told me that he going to take care of the two of you. He promised that the two of you would be safe…" She shook her head. "I didn't know that it was all just a charade…an act to let my trust in him go far enough to let him take you and your brother. I'm sorry…"

Her last phrase echoed in my ears as my vision blurred by the tears that my implicit brain had brought on. Inside my head flashed an image of the smiling, charismatic blonde boy before flashing another one of my traumatized, bloody, dirty little brother. My brain tried to reason with itself. My mind kept telling itself that Scourge wouldn't do that. He didn't have the heart to put my brother through Hell. Adrian…Adrian looked up to him, didn't he? Scourge loved Adrian like his own brother, didn't he? He loved me, didn't he? He wouldn't hurt us…he wouldn't hurt us like that. My mind spun around as my implicit brain fought with itself before coming to the sad conclusion: Scourge was gone. The smiling blue eyed boy that lay in my photo albums was gone. The soul who I had once loved had died and someone new, a despicable stranger, had taken his physical face. I closed my eyes as my tears began to fall.

"This life sucks," Blaze said bluntly as her hand began to caress the top of my head softly. "The venom takes hold of our genes and switches them all around into the person it wants us to be. It takes the mortal, kills it, and maybe not even God knows what it does with our bodies. Maybe that's why we're damned. We're ripped away from the person we used to be and are transformed into a person we never wanted to become. Maybe that's why immortality is a curse." Blaze leaned down to kiss my head. "I'm sorry, Amy. Come on, let's get you home."

The drive home from Blaze's house to mine was unusually quiet and tense. Blaze kept her eyes on the road, her mouth pulled into a frown. I could tell that she was regretting telling me about Scourge. But if she hadn't told me, who would've? My parents didn't want me to know anything about him and Adrian didn't even like to say his name. It was as if he were some type of curse word in our house. Now that I know what he'd done to my brother, I guess I could see why.

I thanked Blaze for her kindness before heading into my house. My parents were waiting in the living, armed with a punishment and a lecture. I barely listened to them as they lectured about the still fatal dangers of drinking and partying and all that other stuff. Their voices were just simply little buzzes in my acute ears. My body felt numb as the image of the smiling boy swirled around my head. _Why him?_ My mind thought sadly. _Why my Scourge? _

Adrian was in his room when I ascended up the steps after the hour long lecture. He had his ear buds in with music pounding through his ears. His eyes were closed and he was oblivious to me as I watched him through the small crack of his halfway open door. A part of me wanted to walk in and inform him of my knowledge but I knew I couldn't do that. I didn't want him hurting any more than he already was. Besides, I was his big sister. I was supposed to be taking care of him. I had to take care of him.

I spent the rest of the weekend in my room, pondering over my old diary that had been lying under my bed since we first moved here and I'd thrown it under there. I was a bit afraid to read it at first. I was afraid of seeing it as a novel instead of a documentation of my past life. I was afraid of falling in love with the characters and then waking up to see that they all weren't the people they used to be.

I didn't really know what to expect before I started reading the small book. I didn't exactly know much about who I used to be except for the little description Blaze had given me and the little bits and pieces that my family had filled in for me. Aside from that, I wasn't sure who the beautiful girl in my pictures was. I did get a good glimpse from reading the diary, however.

Amy Rose was your average teenage girl. She was kind, caring, intelligent, funny, and head over heels in love with her life – sometimes. She had a younger brother who she never really got along with. They were always bickering and fighting but always turned to each other when they needed it. She had easy going parents whom she was fond of. Her mother was a complete sweetheart while her father was harder than but still just as caring as his wife. She had two best friends who always got them mixed up into some type of crazy situations in which she'd have to find their way out of. She also had a true love. The boy she described in her writing was sweet, funny, annoying, and genuine. She loved him and he loved her. She exchanged kisses with him, had late-night romantic rendezvous with him, and lost her virginity to him. She put his heart in his hands and trusted him with every inch of it. She was happy…

I stopped reading the diary around the time that she began talking about the vampire apocalypse. She kept writing that she thought that it was bullshit. She didn't think vampires could be real. Boy was she proved wrong…

My heart fell for the girl I used to be. She was such a strong, sweet girl. I wished that I could've known her. I had a feeling we would've been great friends.

Monday morning came too quickly for my liking. I wasn't really in the mood to go to school. My mind – and heart – was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Scourge truly wasn't…his old self. Besides, I knew everyone would be talking about the party on Friday and I didn't want to relive that either. I had done a good job at repressing the image of Sonic and Sally swapping spit in front of my face after I'd danced with him. My newly conscious mind kept trying to relive the moment in which our bodies moved in sync. His muscular torso against my flat stomach…

I forced a smile upon my face as Blaze and I walked down the hallways of the school. Blaze chattered along about the boy she had danced with at the party and how she was contemplating dating him. They had exchanged numbers after she'd gotten my drunken ass in her car and he'd been talking to her most of the weekend. I listened tentatively to her words as she described her liking towards him but uncertainty as to if it would last or not. Apparently, he was one of those weird guys who you couldn't really tell if they were worth dating or not. "We may be immortal but that doesn't mean that I want to suffer heartbreak after heartbreak on a daily basis," she said. I nodded along to her words, agreeing with her. While I may not have been totally there in the moment, I did know that she was right about that. Just because our bodies weren't vulnerable to humans' harm doesn't mean our hearts weren't.

My Monday morning went by pretty quickly as the routine went by smoothly with the addition that we were actually beginning to do work in our classes. The busyness was a great distraction from the things my mind kept spinning around which was mostly the two boys. Both of whom I knew very little about but was undeniably drawn to – just in different ways.

At lunch time, I was not surprised when I was approached by Sally. She smiled widely at me as she sat down next to me at my lunch table. Cream and Blaze exchanged a worried look after they assessed Vanessa's big, pageant winning smile. "Hey Amy. I'm so glad to see that you came to my party," she said as she chewed casually on a piece of gum. I smiled at her.

"Thank you for inviting me," I replied. Suddenly, she got up from her seat and waved her hand.

"Come, come. Walk with me, talk with me." I raised an eyebrow at my friends who both shrugged. I shrugged my own shoulders lightly before getting up out of my seat. Sally led out to the basically empty hallway where only a few freshman girls were still making their way down to the cafeteria. Sally immediately shot them a deadly glare that caused them to speed up and practically run into the cafeteria. Once the hallway was completely empty, Sally turned her now deadly sapphire eyes to me. Her plump lips turned into a frown as she crossed her arms in front of her perky chest. Uh-oh, I was in trouble. "Amy, Amy," she said as she shook her head. "We have such great potential to be friends."

"I think so too."

"Hm, so I'm going to cut to the chase here. We can continue building our little friendship as long as you keep your pretty little paws off of Sonic." I held up my hands in surrender.

"Sally, honestly, you have nothing to worry about. We were both drunk and he doesn't even think of me as a friend. I don't think he likes me at all, actually." Sally's mouth curled in disbelief. "I'm sorry for dancing with him. I had no idea you guys were dating."

"Dating," Sally asked as she blinked a couple times. A small giggle escaped from her lips. "God, that's how I know you're new here. Listen closely, chica, Sonic and I are not dating." I crinkled my eyebrows together. "But we do have a certain…policy, per to say. He is solely committed to me as I am to him. It's an exclusive arrangement minus the labels."

"I don't believe that I follow," I said.

"Okay to put in simpler terms: he's mine. Just remember that. Okay?"

"Okay…"

"Okay," Sally said as her pageant winning smile returned. "Now that we're clear, how did you enjoy the party?"

"It was fun," I said as I smiled. Sally smiled wider.

"Good." She walked me back to my table, giving me a soft hug before I sat back down. "We're going to be great friends," she whispered in my ear before shooting me a catlike smile. Then, she skipped off towards Sonic's table where he was sitting with his normal group of guy friends. As usual, he seemed out of the conversation and in his own little world as he picked over the French fries on his plate. Sally plopped herself down in his lap and I saw a small smirk arise on his lips.

"I'm so confused," I thought aloud.

"Let me guess: Sally gave you the whole property rights talk about how Sonic is hers but he's not her boyfriend right," Cream said. I nodded. "Yea, like I said before: she's the devil's mistress and she's not the commitment type. Sally likes to tell everyone that Sonic is hers to keep him under wraps while she can go off and sleep with any guy she wants. It's more of a popularity thing if you ask me."

"Sonic is popular," I asked.

"No," Blaze chimed in. "He's just good looking. Most of the girls in our grade would kill to date him but little old Sally claims him therefore giving herself more power than she already has."

"So, she's just using him?"

"Essentially," my friends said in unison. I raised my eyebrows as I tried to understand completely but I just shook it off. What Sonic did with whatever his relationship with Sally was none of my business. Just because we danced in drunken states together does not make us friends.

My thought was confirmed in eighth period when I walked in to Sonic giving me a death stare. His alluring scent swarmed around me as I walked to my seat. I bit down on my unsharpened fangs as the sound of his pulse began to beat in my acute ears. It was a slow, steady, almost relaxing beat. It was the kind of sound that I could fall asleep to. "Hi," I told him as I set my books down on my desk.

"Do me a favor and pretend I didn't talk to you on Friday," he told me.

"Dude, you really need to talk to whoever is ruining your breakfast because I am not the one who has been putting negative vibes in your corn flakes." His mouth tightened around the sides as a jaw in his muscle jumped. I raised my hands. "I'm just saying." He rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, kitten."

"Gladly," I told him as I turned around in my seat. _So annoying,_ I heard his voice say. I turned around once more. "What did you say," I asked him. He raised an eyebrow in genuine confusion.

"I didn't say anything." I opened my mouth to challenge that but then closed it again. I quietly turned around in my seat and looked to Mr. Shepard who was at the board, writing down an equation.

_X equals four squared plus negative two times the quantity of three fourths, _his voice spoke as he continued on to another equation. My eyes widened as I stared at him. Was I reading minds? My stomach lurched in anxiety as the thought of more powers came to mind. I really did not want to discover any new powers…not in the middle of math class. I would've felt much better if I'd found this out at home with Adrian saying something about Olivia in my mind or something. At least then, I wouldn't have to conceal my fear of it getting out of control. Although I couldn't hear a person's mind unless I focused on them, as I'd learned during that period as I experimented, I was still afraid that I might accidentally hear or see something that I shouldn't of.

Once I was home, I continued to experiment my new abilities with my family. While my father and mother mostly thought about mundane things such as work and taking care of Adrian and I, my brother had a lot of mixed thoughts. Sometimes he would think about Olivia and how much he cared about her while other times he would think about the traumatizing events he'd gone through and the hate for the people who'd hurt him. Whenever those thoughts filled his mind, I wanted to hold him and comfort him but I knew that I couldn't. He couldn't know that I could read his mind – no one could. Then they'd all probably try to conceal their thoughts from me and I kind of wouldn't like that.

Over the next few weeks after I'd discovered my new power, I'd grown used to it and deemed it to be useful. I never used it a lot but I used it enough to tell a person's feelings and thoughts at that certain moment in time. I tried hard not to use it on Sonic but I found it hard to. He had gotten colder to me as September casually went by. Every time I walked in the classroom, he had some sort of smart remark waiting for me. I wasn't sure why he was so mean to me so I desperately tried to search for an answer. I searched around his mind whenever he was near me to see if I could find a solid reason for his coldness towards me. Sadly, I never found anything. It was weird, actually. I found that a lot of his mind was closed off or blocked per to say. Only the things on the surface were clear to me while everything else was a dark mist. His mind reminded me of the façade that he had in reality as well. His face was always tight, his lime eyes guarding what lay behind them. I knew that people could portray what they wanted on their faces but I never knew that they could do it in their minds as well. But then again, this was Sonic I was talking about. I didn't know much about him besides that he was unreasonably mean to me. Somehow, I did get the gist that there was a story behind his beautiful face. A story that made him the guarded young man he was. On the day that I realized he could control his thoughts, I made a small promise that I'd break down those walls of his and maybe, just maybe I'd get to see the true boy that lay behind his hard mask.


	8. October Madness

**Happy Easter! **

**All characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 7: October Madness **

"We should do something fun this weekend," Blaze said as she twirled her plastic fork in her fingers. I looked up from the salad I was picking around to see that her topaz eyes were flicking between Cream and I. Cream looked up from her textbook that she was reading and looked to Blaze with a raised eyebrow.

"Like what," she asked. Blaze shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe pick up some hot guys or something." I let a small smile come across my face as I shook my head at her. The fall had come here in Florida but it didn't bring the cold and change of colors like Washington did. Instead, the temperature dropped the tiniest bit to the point where I could comfortably wear jeans. I was happy that the warm weather didn't fade away; I enjoyed taking walks around the suburbs on the weekends. It was a nice, peaceful time. Sometimes, I would walk all the way up to the park a couple blocks away from my house, find a bench under a shaded area, and read for a couple hours. I wished I could suggest doing that but Blaze was more extraverted than I was. She couldn't stay still to study for a test, much less read a book.

"Amy," Blaze said as she pointed to me. "You're in charge of finding something for us to do Friday night." She looked to Cream. "You should definitely hang out with us this time."

Cream once again looked up from her textbook, her chocolate eyes stormy with worry. Whenever Blaze and I would try to invite her out with us somewhere, she'd always find some type of excuse to get out of it. We never questioned her decisions but somehow I got the gist that she was a bit afraid to go out. Yes, I was tempted to take a peek inside of her mind and find the real reason of her fear but I couldn't bring myself to. I had sworn to myself that I would only use the power when I needed to. I didn't want to use it to invade other people's privacy. I'd learned, accidentally, that a lot of people's minds were like their diaries. All of their thoughts and feelings were locked away in the depths of their mind – something of which was hidden for a reason. I couldn't bear to intrude on someone like that.

"I will definitely see if I can," Cream said with a soft smile. Her eyes flicked between Blaze and I as a shy smile came across her face. I returned the smile to her before looking to my other friend.

"Do you have any suggestions before I start investigating what's going on around town?" I asked her.

"Hmm, maybe something not so crazy so that Cream will come with us this time. So, something low key but fun. Okay?" I nodded. While the party we had went to about a month or so before was pretty fun, I had to admit that it was a little bit out of control. I mean, I did get black out drunk and then we figured out that there had been a huge brawl at the party. Blaze had dragged me home by the time the fight had happened but still… I tried not to think about what would've happened if we had stayed a bit longer. Sure, Blaze and I probably would've walked away unharmed but we did have vampire strength and that would not mix well with mortals if we did happen to get into a fight.

The rest of the day went by quickly, as did most days, until I finally walked into my math class at eighth period. Sonic's smell once again invaded my nose, as usual, and my eyes immediately went to his seat in the back of the room. His hands were in his bag and his fingers were moving rapidly over what I guessed was his phone. His eyebrows were creased together a bit as he continued texting. I walked to my seat and sat down without saying a word to him. Over the past month, we spoke to each other only when we were in the arguing mood or if we needed something. Other than that, we didn't say much of anything. I wished we could talk more since I did like the sound of his voice but he was always so rude. I thought that it would've worn off by now, honestly.

Mr. Shepard lectured us and gave us notes for a good seventy-five percent of the class period before giving us some time to ourselves. As soon as I closed my notebook, I felt a pencil eraser press into my shoulder blade lightly. I quickly turned around to see Sonic staring at me, his lime eyes glowing with mild emotion. "Are you going to be nice to me," I asked him.

"For about five seconds, take it or leave it," he said. I rolled my eyes at him but waved my hand for him to go on. He sat up in his seat as he fiddled with his pencil. He leaned his elbows down on the desk as his lime eyes diverted their gaze to anywhere but my face. "Um, so, there's a football game Friday night… It's still the beginning of the season but um…the football coach wanted me to spread the word and get more people to come. We're playing against our rivals." I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you inviting me to the game," I asked him. Sonic's lime eyes looked up to meet my emeralds. In that moment, the "fuck off" sign stopped flashing on his face and I saw a true, genuine look of confusion almost. His eyes had widened the slightest bit and his mouth had opened to say something – a yes maybe. I wouldn't know since the look only lasted a moment before his sign appeared back on his forehead. He rolled his eyes as his jaw tightened.

"I was spreading the word like my coach told me to. Don't get excited."

"Hm, well lucky you, I might just be able to make it."

"Was that supposed to make me happy?" He raised his eyebrows. "Because honestly it just makes me want to throw myself out a window."

"Why? Afraid that you'll be nervous and trip and fumble the ball and sacrifice the whole game just because little old me decided to come?"

"No. That just means that I have to see you again."

"You act like that's such a bad thing."

"I never said it was a good thing," he replied back quickly. I had to admit that I felt a bit of a sting at my chest. His words actually did hurt…more than I was expecting them to. I mean, sure we argued all the time but I thought Sonic and I were getting over that bridge. I was actually hoping that his invitation to the game would be a jumpstart to building a friendship. I guess not.

When the bell rang, we both rose at the same time. He towered over me with his long legs and muscular build. His lime eyes looked down at me as I stared up at him with a small frown on my face. "You gonna move, kitten," he asked. I didn't answer him. Instead, I turned on my heel and walked out of the room. His scent followed me, cooing me to come back to him. I bit down on my fangs as the thought of throwing him out the window crossed my mind. God, he was so infuriating.

"Football game Friday night," I said to Blaze as I approached her in the hallway. "Sonic just invited me to go. He said the team is going against their rivals or whatever. Football games are fun, right?" Blaze raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sonic invited you," she asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry, he wasn't exactly nice about it."

"What's exactly going on between you and him?"

"Nothing," I murmured. My heart sank a bit as I let the word sink in. I couldn't deny that I wanted to be close to Sonic. I wanted to know him and talk to him and really know who he was on the inside. I wasn't exactly sure why but whenever his scent filled my nose, I just…I wanted him. My heart sunk even lower as I realized that he'd probably never let me explore exactly why I felt this need to be with him. He was always so mean and rude and defensive. What exactly did I ever do to him?

Blaze seemed satisfied with my answer as she shrugged her shoulders. "Football games are fun. We can definitely do that on Friday. You should tell Adrian about it. Maybe he and Olivia can come to. He might like that." I nodded as we continued walking along to my locker.

I actually did take Blaze up on the suggestion to ask my brother to come with us on Friday night. Once we were safe at home and Adrian was sitting at the counter with a bottle of blood at his lips, I suggested the idea to him. He raised his eyebrows as I mentioned Sonic's name. "Who's he," Adrian said as he cut me off.

"He's some boy who sits behind me in math class," I said with a wave of my hand. Oh how I wished he was only that much to me. Then things would be so much easier. "You should definitely come to the game though. It'll be fun. You can bring Olivia and you guys can have a little date or something." I smiled softly as Adrian stared at me. He chewed lightly on the open top of the bottle as his emerald eyes contemplated my offer.

"Hmm, I guess I'll go," he said with a shrug. "Our team better not suck now. We used to win championships like it was nothing."

"Did you ever play football?" Adrian nodded, a boyish smile coming across his face. Again, his eyes lightened up with the gleam of a fifteen year old.

"I've been playing sports since I could walk. Dad and I used to go out every weekend and he'd teach me how to play football, basketball, hockey, baseball and all that other good stuff. I used to hate that I didn't have a brother to play with but you used to play basketball with me sometimes. We had a hoop set up back there." He pointed to the back patio door where some our driveway showed through the window. "We would play horse and have one-on-one games all the time. Dad tried to get you to join the basketball team at school but you refused. You wanted to be a cheerleader. You were on the varsity squad at school before…ya know." His boyish smile faltered a bit.

"Why don't you sign up to play sports now?"

"Because it won't be the same…not with the vampire speed and strength and stuff." His smile vanished as he said this, his emerald eyes turning down towards the floor.

"Well, you know, you can always teach me how to play basketball and we can start playing together again." Adrian looked up at me with wide eyes, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Really," he asked.

"Of course," I told him with a soft smile. "I might not be very good at it but-" I was cut off as I felt Adrian's subtly muscular arms squeeze me tightly. I gasped by the impact of his hug but relaxed as he squeezed a bit tighter. I wrapped my slender arms around him as I lay my head on his shoulder. Adrian was taller than me by a couple inches – maybe more but the hug was nice…comforting.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I love you." I smiled.

"I love you too."

The next morning, as soon as I saw Cream I told her about our football game idea. She had smiled enthusiastically and agreed to go. I once again saw some hesitance in her answer but I took it nonetheless. Blaze was ecstatic to hear that our friend could go. She couldn't help but to babble on about how much fun we were going to have and whatnot. I could practically feel her excitement for the rest of the day throughout our classes together. Her optimistic mood sent me up into high spirits. I walked into math class at eighth period with a big, jolly smile on my face. Sonic raised an eyebrow as he assessed the expression on my face.

"Did someone put marshmallows in your cereal this morning," he asked as I flounced down into my seat. I looked up at him to see that his eyebrows were crinkled together and his mouth in a soft frown of concern. I shook my head.

"I'm just having a good day." He nodded once before opening his mouth and then closing it once more. His lime eyes looked down as he spoke next.

"So, are you coming…to the game tomorrow night?" He asked slowly.

"Yes, actually." He nodded.

"Cool," he said simply. I tilted my head at him.

"Are you going to be at the game?"

"Yea but I'm going to be on the field. I'm the wide receiver on the team."

"Are you the one who catches the ball and runs with it?" A smirk suddenly appeared on Sonic's lips as his lime eyes looked up to meet mine.

"Well, well, look at that: kitten knows something about football," he said teasingly. I rolled my eyes at him. I didn't want to admit that I was only repeating what Adrian had told me last night when our whole family was watching some football game that was on the television. I was completely clueless throughout most of the game so Adrian had to explain everything to me as the game went on. I wouldn't say that I was an expert at knowing everything but I did know a thing or two.

Mr. Shepard's lesson was fairly short that day since he gave us worksheets to do once his lecture was over. All of the kids around me began to pair up with each other, once again leaving me alone with the lime colored eyed boy behind me. I turned around just as I saw his pencil inching towards my back. "Do you wanna…" I started.

"Sure," he answered quickly. I turned my desk around so that we were facing each other and we began working. I'll admit that I never really thought about how smart Sonic was. It never crossed my mind that behind his hard exterior lay a boy genius. Literally, Sonic practically zipped through the worksheet without any problems or complications. The only thing that was slowing him down was me asking stupid questions when I would get lost along the way. We managed to finish before anyone else though and he turned in the work for us. I was turning my desk back around when the bell rang. As I was getting up, I accidentally bumped into Sonic's tight abdomen. Blood immediately rushed to my cheeks as I looked up into his lime eyes. "Watch where you're going, kitten," he told me as he walked around me.

"My bad," I told him before hurrying out the classroom.

The next day flew by once again although I didn't get the chance to talk to Sonic during math class. Mr. Shepard lectured throughout the entire period and didn't leave any time to socialize. I wanted to talk to Sonic though. He was wearing his jersey with a pair of jeans that day and he looked especially good. His scent kept beckoning for me throughout the class period but I forced myself to ignore it. I would see him later on tonight. The thought sent butterflies to my stomach.

After school, Blaze came over and helped me get ready for the game. She dressed me in a jean skirt, a one shoulder orange top, and a pair of orange sneaker wedges. She straightened my hair and pulled it into a cute side ponytail with a small side bang. She also dabbed some mascara on my eyelashes and lip gloss on my lips. She then got herself dressed in a fitted sparkly tee shirt, shorts, and a pair of sneakers. She left her curls to be wild and matched her makeup with mine.

Our siblings were ready long before us in which they whined for us to hurry up. Blaze had shushed them by telling them that they couldn't rush beauty. Adrian had rolled his eyes at her comment.

"Olivia is always beautiful and she doesn't take two hours getting ready," he said as he wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist. Olivia was dressed in a simple outfit of jeans and one of Adrian's old football jerseys that she'd tightened around her waist with a hair tie.

"That's because Olivia has the good life of being naturally beautiful," Blaze said as she waved her hand at him.

"But we look just alike," Olivia said. Blaze held up her hand.

"Some people can just pull off some looks better than others. You should know that by now my dear." Oliva shook her head at her sister but let a small smile arise on her lips.

The ride to the game was pretty short since Blaze had to speed to the school. Cream was already there waiting for us while Blaze said that she had invited someone else to accompany us who was already there as well. Olivia and I had wiggled our eyebrows at the sound of that. "New boy candy," I asked her. Blaze rolled his eyes as a soft smile crept onto her lips.

"Not really. He's just a friend," she said although her toothy smile told me otherwise. When we finally arrived at the school, Adrian and Olivia ditched us to go off with their friends. Cream was waiting near the bleachers with Sonic hovering over her. I raised an eyebrow as I watched them talk. She seemed to be trying to wave him off but he stood his ground. He kept whispering lowly to her, his hard expression intimidating anyone that walked past.

"See, here they are," Cream said as we approached them. Sonic's eyes casually went over Blaze before flicking over to me. His scent once again filled my nose but so was all the other humans' so I tried not to pay it much mind. "Go, get ready for the game. I'll see you afterwards." Sonic turned his eyes back to her as he nodded. He obeyed her soft orders and walked off in our direction. I held my breath as his scent got closer to me, becoming more distinct between all the other mortals' scents.

"Hey," I told him as he passed me.

"Kitten," he said simply as he continued to walk past me. I bit my lip as a smile threatened to appear on my face at the sound of his voice.

"Hey guys," Cream said with a soft smile.

"Hey girly," Blaze greeted. She nodded her head in the direction that Sonic had retreated to. "Was he bothering you?"

"No. He was just making sure I was alright. Step-brothers can be a bit overprotective sometimes."

"Step-brother," the words left my mouth before I could hold them back. "He's your step-brother?"

"Yes," Cream said with a confused expression. "I thought you knew. I mean, a lot of people know that we're not related but they know that our parents are…together." She mumbled the last word as if the term was uncomfortable on her lips. She shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Come on, let's go find good seats."

"You guys go on. I'll catch up with you in a minute," Blaze said before skirting off towards a boy who was standing near the entrance. He was really tall with mildly tanned skin, platinum blonde hair, and vibrant bronze eyes. He smiled as Lyla approached him and landed a soft kiss on her lips. I smiled at their interaction before letting Cream tug me towards the bleachers. We sat high up on the bleachers so that we could see the entire field. Blaze soon joined us with the platinum blonde haired boy at her side. "This is Silver," she said as she motioned towards him. He gave us a nod of acknowledgement with a soft smile. "Silver, this is Amy and Cream."

"Hi," Cream and I said in unison.

"What's up," he replied. He had a deep, smooth, mildly seductive voice – the kind that entranced people when talking. Blaze practically beamed at the sound and scooted closer to him. She sat down beside me in which I nudged her. I wiggled my eyebrows at her causing her to giggle.

A couple minutes before the game started, the blonde boy who always sat next to Sonic at lunch approached Cream. "Hey," he told her. The boy didn't look super tall but tall enough with soft blue eyes, blonde hair, and a shy smile. He was cute though with his subtly round cheeks, mischievous blue eyes, and lean body.

"Hey Tails," she replied, a shy smile of her own taking over her lips.

"You mind if I sit here," he pointed to the seat next to her. She shook her head.

"Go ahead." He smiled at her and took a seat beside her.

Finally, the game started. First, the cheerleaders came out in their small orange and white outfits with the boys charging out after them. The crowd was chaotic and overly enthusiastic as they welcomed the players onto the field. I quickly spotted Sonic's running figure due to his scent that demanded that I look to him. He was dressed like the other players on the field in his orange jersey but with the number eighteen on his back. I saw him look up beneath his helmet and I swore our eyes met. My stomach tingled softly at the contact.

The game was pretty…intense per to say. Our rivals happened to be a team that donned the colors of purple and black. They were actually really good players who kept our players on their toes. Sonic did a lot of work as he dodged the opposing team in order to help his team make a touchdown. He was actually really fast and had a good arm. I found myself enjoying watching the athletic side of him as he ran up and down the field. We did end up winning the game with a score of 30-28. It was a close score and everyone went wild as Sonic scored the winning touchdown. Even I stood up and cheered for him.

After the game was over, I retreated down off the bleachers to find my brother while my two friends spent some extra time with their boys. I had gotten the gist that Tails and Cream were kind of a thing when he was steady wrapping his arm around her and holding her hand. I could take a hint and not be the third wheel when the two couples sat on either side of me, chatting about what had gone on during the game.

As I walked around the field, I noticed plenty of teenage couples around me. Most of the football boys had come out of the locker rooms and were embracing their girlfriends – most of whom were cheerleaders. A soft smile came across my face as their thoughts of love and affection and pride buzzed lightly in my ears. I could tell that some of these people really did care genuinely for their significant other. The fact gave me joy. I was glad to see that love flourished even at all of the mortals' young ages. My mind flashed an image of me standing on this very turf with my arms around Scourge and our lips locked together. The image only lasted for a moment before I felt myself bump into a familiar firm torso.

"Are you blind, kitten," Sonic asked as he stared down at me. I blushed deeply.

"No. I'm just short. We don't have a very good view from down here." Sonic's lips tugged at the ends, a smile threatening to appear. "Good job out there. You've actually got some skills."

"Actually? Whoa, you thought I couldn't play?" I shrugged.

"I was just surprised. You don't really strike me as a football player." He gave up the battle and a small smile arose on his lips.

"What do I strike you as then?"

"More of a boxer or something; you always look like you wanna punch someone in the face." Sonic chuckled as he shook his head.

"Nah, kitten, maybe I just give that look to you." I let out an exaggerated gasp as I held my hand to my lips.

"Sonic, I thought you were actually being nice to me for once."

"Keep dreaming, kitten." Sonic suddenly looked up as his small smile vanished from his lips. I turned my head to see what he was staring at to see Sally in her tiny cheerleading outfit with her arms wrapped around one of the other football players. I quickly looked down as I turned my head.

"You deserve better," I murmured without thinking.

"Maybe," he whispered in an almost inaudible tone. "I'll see you around."

Before I could spare him a goodbye of my own, he had already retreated away from me towards the parking lot. My heart leaned forward in the direction he was going with its arms wide open. _Come back, _it whispered. _Let me fix you. _

I sighed as I turned back around to find my own friends. As soon as I did so, I felt a cold, eerie feeling swarm over me. My fangs began to sharpen as my stomach began to twist up in my stomach. A scent – a strong, darkly seductive, distinct scent filled my nose causing a swirl of my defensive instincts to fill my head. _Vampire, _my mind hissed. I looked around cautiously, my acute eyes searching for anyone out of the ordinary or someone whom the scent could trace back to. Sadly, all that were visible to me were mortals. There was no real trace of where the scent was coming from. It was just _there. _A small feeling of fear arose in my stomach as Adrian's traumatized state filled my mind. They couldn't be here. We were supposed to be safe here.

"Amy," I heard my brother say as his hand grabbed my arm. I looked up at him to see that his face was hard, his eyes filling with an emotion that reminded me of… _Of Daddy_, my mind said softly. _Daddy fought in a war too._ "Come on," he said before dragging me towards the car. I wanted to ask him if he knew that another vampire was here with us but from the look on his face, I already knew the answer. He'd smelled the scent too and apparently it'd brought up some very bad memories. At first, I wondered if it was Scourge but I quickly dismissed the thought. Surely my implicit mind would be able to quickly register if this was my old friend. This scent was novel to me – foreign and unfamiliar. The aura the scent had scared me though. I could tell right off the back that whoever had been there was not there to help us. They were here to do us harm – now they knew where we were. Now they could monitor us. Now they could devise a plan. Now they could prepare to drag Adrian and I back to wherever we had escaped from. I looked to my brother's angry expression and gave his hand a squeeze. His emerald eyes looked to me as I heard his voice in my head. _They're coming for us, Ames. _

**Please Review!**


	9. Don't Get Too Close

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs. **

**Chapter 8: Don't Get Too Close **

I widened my eyes up at my brother and opened my mouth to say something. The stern frown that took over his lips prompted me to close it right back. He continued to tow me towards Blaze's car where Olivia was waiting patiently. Her young face seemed frightened as well, her topaz eyes searching around the area cautiously. "I can't tell where they are," she murmured helplessly as we approached her.

"I can't either," Adrian whispered. "The bastard is probably hiding somewhere amongst the mortals."

"Or somewhere up high. Do you know if they know that you're here?" Olivia's eyes had watered slightly as she spoke. Adrian shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't read his mind. He has a shield up. I think he has an idea that vampires reside here but he doesn't know exactly who. We should be safe…for now anyway."

"Are you guys okay," I heard Blaze say from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see my best friend rushing towards me, her face crinkled in worry. She grabbed me into a hug when she finally reached us. "Oh my gosh, Amy, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. I should have been watching you. I didn't know they would come here. There are so many mortals…so many risks."

"They don't give a damn about risks," Adrian said bitterly. "Come on, let's get home before they figure out where we went."

We all immediately piled up into Blaze's car before she drove like a maniac to get us home. As soon as we walked through the front door, Adrian stormed up to his room and slammed his door shut. I flinched at the sound before slowly making my way to my own room.

My mind was spinning as I lay down on my bed. A part of me wanted to cry and let fear overwhelm my body while another part of me wished that the vampire had followed us. A part of me wished that the vampire would lead Scourge to me. A part of me still longed for us to be together. I closed my eyes as tears began to brim them. The flash that had been interrupted back at the football game once again resurfaced in my mind. Scourge had his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as his soft lips moved with mine in a passionate kiss. A lone tear fell from my eye as my implicit memory reminisced the sweet moment.

I curled up into a tight ball as I let more tears fall from my eyes. I wasn't exactly sure why exactly I was crying but I knew that I couldn't stop. The tears just kept coming as my emotions swirled around in my chest. A mix of anger, sadness, and fear swam around my body as the events of this life once again hit me. I was being hunted by my ex-boyfriend whom a part of me was still in love with me and I had lost almost everyone I'd loved. I wasn't myself anymore. I wasn't safe anymore. I wasn't normal anymore. As much as I tried, I would never be normal….

Adrian didn't speak of the vampire to my parents but his hostility and sense of betrayal did show strongly over the next two weeks. He refused to talk to either of my parents but when he did, he'd always turn it into an argument. He was almost never home, as well. He mostly camped out at Olivia's house in an attempt to hide away from my parents. He didn't trust them. I doubt that he ever did but it was definitely clear now. He knew from the beginning that this place wasn't going to be safe for us. We'd grown up here, of course whoever was coming after us would suspect for us to come back here. It was only a matter of time before they came to this place to scout for us.

When Adrian did come home at night, he stayed in my room to keep watch over me. He'd officially taken on the role of a big brother and made it his duty to keep me safe. He always had to know where I was, who I was with, what I was doing, and if there were any unusual scents around. While the gesture was annoying at first, I came to understand his protectiveness. He didn't want me to go through the same Hell that he'd been through. He wanted me to stay safe. I appreciated his effort but I couldn't help but to feel bad about our switch of authority roles. I was, after all, older than him so therefore I should be the one watching over him. Maybe if I hadn't lost my memories things would be different. Maybe he wouldn't be so overprotective of me. Maybe he would let me protect him for once.

The next two weeks went by without any interesting events. Thankfully, there were no signs of the vampire who'd made an invisible appearance at the football game. However, Blaze was still very alert. She was always watching our surroundings, waiting for the scent to come back. She didn't seem afraid of the scent like I was. Instead, she seemed prepared for it to come back; she was prepared for a fight. I didn't like the thought of her fighting on my account yet I couldn't tell her to let her guard down. I knew that she wouldn't listen to me anyway.

Sonic was still infuriating – even more so in a way. After our small talk at the football game, he took on the challenge of annoying me whenever he saw me. If he saw me in the hallway, he'd knock my books out of my hands. When we were in class, he'd constantly poke me and throw small paper balls at the back of my head. One Saturday, I'd run into him at the mall while I was shopping with Blaze and he insulted the clothes in my hand. I had ignored him at first until he told me that it looked as if I was trying to impress someone. Then, I just told him to go mind his own business and worry about his girlfriend's clothes. The comment seemed to tick him off and he left me alone – for the day anyway. On Monday, he went right back to knocking my books out of my hands and throwing paper at me. I began to think that all he wanted was my attention but when I tried to talk nicely to him, he was mean as usual. The gestures were confusing me. If he wanted to talk to me, there were many other polite ways of getting another human beings' attention.

One Thursday afternoon, Cream invited Blaze and I to sleep over her house the next night. She explained that her parents were going out of town and they had told her that she could invite some friends over to keep her company. Blaze jumped onboard immediately since we hadn't all gotten together since the football game. I, on the other hand, was a bit reluctant to go along with the plan. Sure, I wanted to spend time with Cream and everything but Sonic was her stepbrother. I suspected that they did live together which meant that he would be in the house as well. While I did want to see him due to the continuous calling of his scent, I was a bit tired of his annoying antics. However, I did agree to go since I want to spend more time with my friend. Sonic couldn't stand in the way of that.

So, on Friday night, I stood on Cream's doorstep dressed in a pair of my cutest pajamas that consisted of a red fitted crop top and a pair of red and black plaid cotton pants. Her house was a big, suburban house similar to mine with the exception of the small garden in front of her house. My parents had dropped me off at her house since I had to fight with Adrian for permission to go to the sleepover. He wanted me to stay home and out of sight. It took me a good hour to convince him that I would be fine. I was going to a mortal's house after all. I doubt the vampires looking for us would even bother to look there. Adrian was still reluctant about letting me go when I was leaving but he waved me off. Thank God.

Anyway, after the long persuasive argument, I was finally at my friend's house. I knocked softly on the front door. I turned my head to parents as my acute hearing heard footsteps coming to the door. I waved them off from where I stood before the door opened. I turned my head to see Sonic standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a simple fitted tank top with a pair of sweatpants and his head full of curls was wet. His strong scent bombarded my sense of smell, filling it with peaches and sandalwood. I could tell that he'd just taken a shower, he smelled fresh. Plus, I could see some moisture on his arms that he might've missed. "Hi," I told him. His green eyes were analyzing my outfit, lingering on my shirt that read "Only in Your Dreams." I blushed softly as I realized how little the shirt covered of my torso.

"Hey kitten," he replied simply. "I would let you in but first, you've got to tell me the secret password." I raised an eyebrow as I saw his eyes flash with mischief. Here he goes with the annoying gestures…

"Can I get a hint?"

"Hmm, well since you're new, I guess I can give you a tiny hint. It's something that I am."

"Annoying," I asked. Sonic frowned at me. "Oh, no, no I mean infuriating. Or a dick."

"You ought to watch your mouth kitten. Remember that you are going to be in _my _house for the rest of the night. I don't think you want anything bad to happen, now do you?"

"Are you threatening me," I asked as I crinkled my eyebrows together. "Because if you are then you should know that two can play at that game."

"As if your little ass can do anything to me," he said as he rolled his eyes. Oh, if only he knew. I can break his jaw just by poking him. Finally, he moved aside to let me in.

"Thank you," I told him as I walked inside. The interior to the house was similar to mine as well with the exception of the vibrant colored rooms and exquisite paintings on the walls. Also, there was a soft, comfortable smell of home that wafted through the atmosphere.

"Cream, your short friend is here," Sonic called from behind me as he shut the door. He pointed to the closest doorway on my left. "They're in there. Want me to take your bag upstairs?"

"I don't think I trust you with my personal things." He smirked, a dimple showing in his cheek. I raised my eyebrows at the small indent in his cheek. It was so boyish and innocent…so cute.

"Smart girl but I promise that I won't destroy anything…for now." I rolled my eyes but handed him my purple duffel bag. He ascended up the steps to the dark hallway while I made my way into the living room. Their living room was a big room with a brown sectional couch, a loveseat, a big chair, dark chestnut carpets, a huge flat screen television, a coffee table, a DVD rack, and various school pictures of Sonic and Cream hanging on the walls. I didn't get a chance to get a good look at the pictures since my friends called my name.

Blaze was sitting on one end of the sectional dressed in a tank and pants while Cream was sitting across from her dressed in a tee and shorts. Both of them had red cards in their hands while a small stack of them rested in the space between them. Tails was sitting on the floor beside Cream's legs, his eyes staring down at his phone as his fingers moved rapidly across it. "Hey guys," I told them with a soft smile.

"Hey, you wanna join in? We're playing poker," Cream said. "You can take Tails' place because he's a cheater." Tails looked up from his phone at the sound of his name and shot a playful glare at Cream. She smiled teasingly back down at him.

"Don't be mad because I know how to play and you don't," he told her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever." I took a seat next to Blaze on the couch and folded my hands in my lap. "Do you know how to play poker," Cream asked me. I opened my mouth to say yes but quickly closed it. Adrian did teach me how to play but I wasn't very good at it. Either that or Adrian was just better at it. Plus, I never really grasped the concept of the game. I was more of a "Go Fish" or "I Declare War" type of girl.

"Not really. You guys keep playing. I'll watch and learn," I told her. Cream nodded. She, Blaze, and Tails continued their game while I watched them quietly. Sonic joined us a moment after they resumed and took a seat next to me. I had glanced at him to see that he was staring over my head at the game taking place. I unconsciously blushed as I noticed how close he was. His scent was basically wrapped around me, urging me to move closer to him. I continued to glance up at him but his eyes were always on the game going on in front of us. Tails ended up winning four times in a row so Cream and Blaze just gave up on beating him.

"What do you guys wanna do now," Cream asked as she put the cards back into a small box.

"Let's play some video games," Sonic said as he stood up. He stretched his back for a second before walking up to the flat screen TV. The television sat on top of a huge stand that had a couple of drawers under it. Sonic opened the first one to reveal a DVD player, an Xbox One, Play Station 4, and a Wii. "Pick a console," he told all of us. I watched my friends as they pursed their lips in thought. Tails' eyes stayed on Cream, his blue eyes anxious for her to speak.

"We should definitely play some Mortal Kombat," Cream said. "That'll rile up some energy."

"Play Station, it is then," Sonic said as he took out the console. Cream got up to help him hook up the game to the television. She then opened the second drawer which held an abundance of video games and pulled out the one she had mentioned. I'd heard of the game before. I've seen Adrian play it but I didn't know how to play. Hopefully, I could safely back out of this one and watch in content like I did with the last game. "Amy and I call first round," Sonic yelled as he sent me a devious smirk. What? Ugh, he was so annoying.

"I play the winner," Cream said as she retreated back to the couch. I reluctantly got up and took a seat on the floor next to Sonic. I glared at him as he handed me a controller. His smirk widened.

"I'm going to destroy you, aren't I, kitten," he asked. I looked away without answering. He chuckled beside me as he set up actual game play. His avatar was some buff karate dude while I chose a pretty, lean female character. I already knew that I was going to lose but at least my avatar was cute. As soon as the game allowed us to begin, Sonic's fingers spread across the buttons and his character sprang into action. My eyes widened as my avatar was bombarded with kicks and punches. On impulse, I let my fingers bounce around the controller, hoping that I was pressing the correct buttons. My avatar began to fight back against Sonic's with kicks and punches that managed to slow him down. I glanced at him to see he was frowning, his eyes crinkled together in annoyance. Ha, he thought he was gonna beat me that easily? I quickly caught on to knowing which buttons to push and when. With that knowledge, I beat the living daylights out of Sonic's character. It wasn't long before he fell down in a complete knockout.

"Aw, looks like the kitten can beat the big, bad wolf," I teased Sonic with a smile. He glared at me.

"This isn't over, kitten. We've got all night. Watch that small back of yours," he told me before getting up. Cream took his place beside me and smiled at me.

"That was awesome," she told me. "Just spare me some mercy, will ya?" I giggled but nodded. With our game, I wished she would've given me some mercy. She chose a female character as well and completely dominated my character. Literally, her small fingers moved rapidly against the controller without her eyes ever leaving the screen. The movement led her avatar to become a master of combat and therefore leave my avatar barely able to defend herself. She ended up winning the round and Tails took my place to play her.

I took a seat on the couch next to Blaze who was watching the matches contently. Sonic was sitting on the other end of the couch, his "fuck off" sign flashing on his face again. His arms were crossed against his chest while his jaw was tight. I could tell that he was fuming about losing to a girl. The sight was kind of funny. He reminded me of a little kid who was pouting because he couldn't get what he wanted. The thought brought a smile of victory to my lips. Finally, I had gotten the upper hand on him for once.

The five of us played video games for another hour or so before the pizza Cream ordered arrived. Then, we spent a good half hour talking around the kitchen as we ate our food. Cream, Blaze and I mostly conversed amongst ourselves while the boys whispered to each other on the other side of the room. I didn't know what they were talking about but from the devious smirk that had arisen on Sonic's face, I could tell that it may not have been good.

After we were all finished eating, we settled back down in the living room to watch a scary movie. Sonic had chosen some creepy haunted house movie for all of us to watch. He explained to Blaze and I that it was awarded as one of the scariest movies of our generation. For once, I actually had to admit that he was right on that one. The movie scared the living daylights out of me – and I'm a vampire. Besides, I knew that ghosts didn't exist…I think. Even if they did though, I had no reason to be afraid of them. We were kind of in the same boat of being supernatural and all. However, since the ghosts were terrorizing mortals, I did get pretty freaked out. I clutched my blanket around me tightly and hid my face whenever something scary would happen. Sonic, who was sitting on the floor next to my legs, chuckled at me whenever I did so. "Scared kitten," he whispered as he got up to sit down beside me.

"Get away from me," I told him. "I know you're planning to scare me." He raised one of his perfect eyebrows at me.

"Oh really?"

"Yup. What else would you want with me during a scary movie?" Sonic opened his mouth to say something but then quickly closed it. His eyebrows crinkled together in confusion as he struggled to find the right words. I stared at him as his confusion strengthened even more.

"I…I don't know," he finally murmured back. His lime eyes flicked to me for a moment before turning their attention back to the movie. I also turned back to the movie only to be greeted by something popping out on the screen. I immediately hid my face in my knees causing Sonic to chuckle once more.

We watched about three more scary movies before we all camped out around the living room. Cream and Tails took the sectional, Blaze took the loveseat, and Sonic and I took the floor. My friends fell asleep quickly while I stayed awake, my thoughts still haunted by the horror movies we'd watched earlier. I curled myself up in my sleeping bag but tossed and turned for a good hour. Finally, I just gave up on sleep and stared up at the wall. My mind flashed an image similar to the one that was happening now with the exception that we were all on the floor. I was in the middle of Scourge and Blaze who were sleeping beside me. We were younger in the image though, maybe about 12 or 11 years old. We were all curled up into our own blankets but lay close together. The image put a soft smile on my face.

I looked to Blaze who was sleeping peacefully on the loveseat. I peeked a bit into her mind to see that she was dreaming about the image that had just popped into my head. Nostalgia surrounded the image in her head causing me to frown a bit. She missed those simple times. Her thoughts told me that everything was easier back then. There were no vampires, no boy troubles, and no worries at all. She had her two best friends, her family, and big dreams ahead of her. She wished she could go back to those times. She wished nothing would've changed…

I closed my eyes as I felt tears brim my eyes once more. I couldn't cry right now. Not here with Sonic sleeping next to me. If he saw me cry then he probably wouldn't let me live it down. I turned my head towards the boy sleeping next to me to see that his lime eyes were open and staring right at me. I blushed deeply as my eyes widened. "You're awake," I whispered.

"So are you," he whispered back. "Are you okay?" I blinked, taken aback by his concerned words.

"Yea," I said unsurely. "The movies earlier kind of freaked me out, that's all."

"Scaredy cat," he replied with a soft smirk.

"Yup and proud of it." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Why are you up?"

"Cause I kept hearing you tossing and turning. You're pretty loud, ya know." I blushed deeply in embarrassment.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"It's alright, kitten. Go to sleep. I won't let any monsters hurt you." His last two statements were a command and then a promise. A promise that from the tone of his now serious voice, I could tell he was being sincere about. The thought of him actually protecting me caused my heart to flutter unconsciously.

"I think there is one monster you can't protect me from." He raised an eyebrow. "Yourself. You've been threatening me almost all night." He rolled his eyes.

"Shut up and go to sleep, Amy. I won't do anything…tonight anyway. I think those scary movies taught you enough of a lesson." He closed his eyes, his body relaxing itself under his blankets.

"Sonic," I whispered. He cracked his eyes open a bit in response. "Why…why are you so mean to me?"

"Because," he murmured simply. I stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to elaborate. He didn't say anything more. Instead he closed his eyes and left me hanging with the word. I sighed and turned over onto my other side.

"Goodnight Sonic," I told him.

"Goodnight Amy," I heard him whisper back.

The next morning, I was the first one to wake up. I didn't fall asleep right away after my small talk with Sonic but I did manage not to move around as much. I didn't want to wake him up again. I should've though to get the rest of the answer to my question but I knew that he probably wouldn't have given it to me anyway. So, I let him sleep.

He was still sleeping peacefully when I woke up. His face was buried in his pillow, his back moving up and down due to his soft breaths. I smiled at his sleeping figure before grabbing my phone that lay above my head. I rolled over onto my back and began to play around on some social media network that Blaze had set me up with. I wasn't really too tech savvy so I wasn't really sure of the words to explain it. All I knew was that people wrote stupid things and put up pictures and such. It was entertaining when I was bored – like I was that morning.

About a half hour after I'd woken up, Sonic stirred awake beside me. He groaned as he rolled onto his back and stretched out his muscular arms. "Good morning," I told him after I'd glanced at him.

"Morning," he mumbled back. "What time is it?"

"Ten o' clock." He mumbled something back but it was incomprehensible. I wasn't sure if he was telling me thank you or something else. I took the thank you interpretation and continued reading some fanfiction story I'd pulled up on my phone.

"You hungry," he asked. I nodded. I actually was pretty hungry. I knew that I needed to find a way to get some blood into my system but that would have to wait until I got home. I couldn't risk drinking it in front of Sonic, Cream, and Tails. Sure, they may not question what I was drinking but I still didn't want to chance it. I was better off just waiting until I got home. Sonic sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He looked down at me with his sleepy, half open eyes. His lips tugged up slightly at the ends as his eyes softened. I blushed under his gaze. "Come on, kitten. There are some breakfast foods in the kitchen."

We both got up off the floor and I followed him into the kitchen. I took a seat at the table and lay my cheek in the palm of my hand. "What are you hungry for," he asked me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Anything is fine."

"Hmm, how about some waffles? Do you like waffles?"

"Yea. Waffles are good."

"I'm gonna microwave some. I would cook some homemade ones but I'm too tired and I don't want to burn the house. Plus I don't like you enough to make you my famous cinnamon sugar waffles." I rolled my eyes at him.

"They probably taste like feet anyway." I looked to him to see that he was sending me a glare. I smiled widely at him. He rolled his eyes and continued taking the frozen waffles out of their box.

"You're lucky I can't poison these things."

"Hmm, as if you would anyway."

"Don't tempt me, kitten." I mimicked zipping my mouth shut and throwing away the key. "Good girl," he said simply as he put the waffles into the microwave. I twirled a stray strand of my hand between my fingers as Sonic leaned against the counter and waited for the waffles to finish cooking. Once they were finally done, he separated them onto two plates and set on of the plates in front of me. He set the other in the place across from me. I raised an eyebrow as he walked towards the fridge again. "We've got orange juice, apple juice, water, coffee, milk or soda if you want that early in the morning."

"Orange juice is fine," I told him. I continued to stare at him in confusion as he took out a carton of orange juice and poured it into two glasses. He raised an eyebrow at me when he came back to the table and sat down.

"What," he asked me.

"You're…you're being nice to me," I said slowly. I looked to the juice. "What did you put in here?"

"I don't know. Try it and find out." I rolled my eyes at him. I grabbed the syrup from the middle of the table and drowned my waffles with it. Sonic raised an eyebrow as I did so. "Damn, someone really likes syrup."

"Yea. It makes waffles taste better. I like them soggy." Sonic grabbed the syrup and squirted a moderate amount over his breakfast. We ate in an awkward silence for a couple minutes, both of us trying hard not to make eye contact.

"So," he said.

"So," I repeated.

"Where are you from?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Um, Washington…"

"Isn't it cloudy and rainy up there?" I shrugged.

"Yea I guess. I didn't really mind the weather." Sonic opened his mouth to speak but then Cream, Blaze and Tails came into the room. His eyes flashed with irritation as his jaw tightened the slightest bit. I raised my eyebrow at his subtle expression.

"You guys made waffles," Emily exclaimed. "Are there any more? Don't tell me you ate them all again, Sonic."

"There's a whole other box in the freezer," he told her.

"Thank God," she said as she rushed over to the freezer. I looked to Blaze to see that she was raising a suspicious eyebrow at me. I shrugged at her which caused her to shake her head. _Stay away from him, _she mentally scolded me. I raised an eyebrow, ready to send her a mental argument as to why I had to. But, then I realized that she couldn't read minds like I could. We'd just have to talk about it at a later time.

The rest of the morning went by peacefully. Sonic went back to being the annoying asshole that he was and I forgot about his sudden kindness to me. We all watched a comedy movie together before Blaze and I left. My friend didn't speak of my interaction with Sonic as we drove home. Instead, she seemed to drop the subject completely. She talked animatedly about how much fun we all had and everything. I was happy for the change in subject and relaxed against my seat.

On Monday morning, I was surprised when Cream gave me a concerned look as I approached her at her locker. "Good morning," I told her with a soft smile.

"What did you and Sonic talk about Saturday morning," Cream asked. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Um, nothing really. We didn't really get to talk much since you guys walked in right when he started being nice to me. Why? Is everything alright?" She nodded.

"Sonic is just…he's just acting strange. That's all. I was just wondering if you knew what was going on with him. I thought maybe he'd told you something or…you know what I mean."

"I understand but Cream, honestly, I don't think Sonic would tell me anything. We're not exactly close, remember?" Cream smiled.

"Oh yea. I forgot about that."

"So, how did it feel to be all snuggled up with Tails Friday night," I teased her as I wiggled my eyebrows. Her face flashed scarlet as she opened her mouth to answer.

"It was…interesting," she said as her smile widened.

"So, are you guys together or…?"

"No…well not officially I guess you could say. We've been…hanging out for a while now. But it's just that he's Sonic's best friend and I don't want our relationship to ruin anything between them. They grew up together and he only met me because of Sonic and… I just don't want things to get complicated, ya know." I nodded.

"I understand. But just to let you know, I totally ship it." She laughed at me as she shook her head.

Later that day, at lunch, Sonic unexpectedly approached me. Blaze, Cream, and I had been joking around about boys when he'd walked over so it wasn't the best timing in the whole world. I didn't even realize he was standing behind me at first until Cream acknowledged him. Then, I had snapped my neck up backwards to meet his lime eyes. I blushed deeply as I realized how caught off guard I was. Usually, I smelled him before I saw him. But then again, I was pretty absorbed in the conversation going on so that could be a good reason why I didn't catch his scent. "Can I talk to you," he asked.

"Uh sure," I replied. I excused myself from the table and followed Sonic out to the hallway. As we walked, I noticed Sally watching us with a tight frown. "Everything okay," I asked him as he turned to me once we were in the empty hall.

"Mr. Shepard asked me to tutor you," he said quickly.

"What? But I have a B in that class." Sonic shrugged.

"I guess it could be an A once you let me tutor you." I crinkled my eyebrows together as I stared at him. I tried to peek into his mind to see if he was lying but his wall was back up. I couldn't see into his thoughts. I just had to take his word for it.

"Fine," I said with a soft sigh. "When do you want to start?"

"Today, after school. I'll walk you to your locker and we can go out to the field and study on the bleachers. It's a nice day outside so I figured…"

"Okay." Sonic nodded. "Thanks."

"You're not welcome," he said as he walked back into the cafeteria. I rolled my eyes after him. I tried to take a step towards the door but was automatically met by Sally's charging figure. I backed up as her angry sapphire eyes burned into me.

"I thought we were clear," she snapped at me. "Sonic is mine."

"I get that," I told her. "Trust me, I do."

"Then stay the hell away from him. I mean it this time."

"Sally, Sonic and I aren't even friends. We're just…he was asked to tutor me by our teacher. That's all he was talking to me about. You have nothing to worry about." Sally narrowed her eyes at me.

"I see the way you look at him, Amy. Everyone sees it. You like him."

"I do not. Sally, your freaking out over nothing, honestly. Sonic is all yours, okay?"

"No, not okay. You listen to me, new girl, stay away from Sonic. This is my last warning or else I will bury you ten feet under, got it?" I opened my mouth to speak but decided against it. Sally didn't scare me but I didn't want to piss her off any more than she already was. If she didn't want to believe me then that was all fine and good. I knew that there was nothing serious going on between Sonic and I. That should be all that really matters. Sally seemed satisfied with my silence and strutted back into the cafeteria with an aura of victory. It was too bad that she didn't know she hadn't really won anything. I wasn't fighting over Sonic's heart. I was just trying to be his friend – or at least get to cordial grounds. Yet, I was having trouble with that. If only she could see that she really had nothing to worry about.

My friends gave me suspicious looks when I returned back to the table but I informed them of what Sonic wanted and both of their suspicious looks fell. Tutoring was an understandable topic, apparently. Although, I didn't really believe Sonic's claim of being asked to tutor me, I guess I'd have to take it.

After eighth period ended, Sonic stayed true to his word and walked with me to my locker. After I put my things away, we walked off to his locker which was all the way across the building. I didn't mind walking with him though since he kept quiet. I was content with the peace that now lay between us instead of the bantering that usually went on. Sonic seemed to enjoy it as well. His shoulders were relaxed, his "fuck off" sign didn't shine as bright and his mouth was actually pulled into a content, tiny smile. I wondered what he was thinking about that caused him to be so laid back but I didn't bother trying to look into his mind. I knew that it would be locked away anyway.

Sonic led me to the back of the school where the football field was located. At the moment, the freshman team was practicing on the green turf. The ones who weren't busy turned their heads to gawk at Sonic and I. I blushed softly as their eyes lingered more on me than him. I was only wearing a fitted crop top with a jean jacket, a high waist skirt, and ankle boots. I didn't think the outfit was all too appealing but apparently the freshman sure thought so. Sonic and I walked all the way up to the top of the bleachers and sat down. My stomach tingled in fear as the subtle scent of the vampire wafted through my nose. While the smell was old, it still stirred up some mixed feelings. The vampire was sitting in this very spot, watching us from up above. No wonder we couldn't pick him out. He was disguised amongst the mortals – probably dressed like a normal person out at a football game. I wondered how old he appeared to be, what he looked like, what his true intentions were…

"You alright," Sonic asked. I snapped out of my thoughts to look up at him. He was leaning back, his lime eyes reflecting a brighter color from the sunlight.

"Yea, yea," I told him. "Shall we start with the tutoring or…?" Sonic chuckled.

"You really believed me," he asked. He shook his head. "And I was beginning to think you were smart." I rolled my eyes at him.

"I figured you wouldn't do anything nice for me. What do you want now that you've finally got me where you want me? Are you gonna push me off the top of the bleachers?"

"Don't tempt me, kitten. But, no I'm not going to push you off the bleachers. I just…I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh," I said.

"I was thinking about what you said on Friday night…about your question as to why I'm so mean to you… The truth is: I'm kind of mean to everyone."

"Why?"

"Because it's easier not to get attached to people. It's easier to push them away."

"Oh…" He turned his eyes south, avoiding my gaze on him. "Is there…is there a reason why you feel that way?"

"Look, I don't want you to take this the wrong way but I don't think I want to tell you. I just brought you up here to let you know that it's nothing personal."

"Oh. Thanks…I guess." A tense silence lay over us as I stared at him, waiting for him to say something else. He never did though. So, I got up and took a step onto the next descending bleacher seat.

"Wait," Sonic called as his hand shot up to grab my wrist. I turned to look at him as my skin burned in pleasure under his warm skin. His scent that had been swirling around me once again began tugging me towards him. "Stay," he told me. I wanted to question why I should but the pleading look in his beautiful eyes told me to just take the offer. So, I sat back down beside him and smiled softly at him. "What's your story," he asked suddenly. I raised my eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"What's your story or your deal or whatever you want to call it?"

"Um, I don't think I follow…" He rolled his eyes.

"You're so…nice, I guess. Why?" I opened my mouth to tell him a lie but then closed it again. As I stared into his sincere, curious eyes, I couldn't help but feel the need to tell him the truth about me. Not the whole truth but the edited version of it. A part of me, the part that was constantly being tugged towards him, felt as if I could trust him with the information I would share. Not about my vampire status or the fact that I was being hunted or any of that. Instead, I would tell him about the girl I used to be and the girl I was now. Maybe he would understand that story.

"I…I have amnesia." Sonic's eyes shot up in surprise. I held his gaze as I continued to speak. "There was a freak accident a couple years ago that resulted in me getting a serious head injury. All my memories of my life leading up to the accident were erased…all of them. When I woke up, I couldn't remember who I was or where I was or who my family and friends were. My parents thought it would be best for me to be homeschooled for a little while as I got myself together. I was originally from around here but we moved down to Washington because my parents thought that I would suffice better there since it was quiet and less…exciting I guess I could say. Resulting in the move, I lost a lot of things. I lost my old life, my old friends, my old self…" I shrugged softly. "Four years later and I'm still trying to figure out the girl I was before. I don't know who she is or she was per to say. All I know is what other people tell me and honestly…I wished that I could still be her. You might've liked her."

"Amy…I'm…I'm so sorry," Sonic said. He seemed to be at a loss for words as he stared at me. "I… I'm sorry for being so rude to you. I didn't know you were going through so much."

"It's alright," I told him. "You don't have to pity me. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself against you and your stupid remarks."

"If it helps…I know how you feel. I've never had amnesia but I do know how it feels to start all over and not know who you're supposed to be. My mother…she was killed in a freak accident." My eyes widened with pity as he diverted his gaze away from me. Oh… He was opening up to me. This was unexpected. "I was with her when she died… I survived but she didn't…"

"Sonic…I'm…I'm so sorry." I reached to grab his hand. He let me hold his hand in both of mine. His skin was warm, smooth and achingly soft. I briefly wondered what it would feel like if he were to touch my face with his soft hand.

"I was only eight years old," he murmured. He shook his head. "My father…my father went into denial. He…he couldn't handle the fact that she was dead. He didn't want to believe it. He kept acting as if she was still alive…as if she were still there. It was scary…he looked like a madman. But eventually, he came to terms with her death. He got himself together and he turned to Cream's mother. They had always been good friends but they were never romantically linked. Not until after my father got over my mother. Then they got married and moved in together and forced Cream and I to act like siblings and it was just…" He shook his head. "It was a lot. Cream and I barely knew each other and our parents travel a lot with their jobs so we were left alone together and… It was difficult. I was still dealing with my mother's death and seeing my father with another woman and then trying to be a brother…. I lost myself too." I squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry," I told him.

"It's not your fault," he said as he looked back to me. "Just promise that you won't share this information with anyone. The only other people who know about my mom aside from my family are Tails and Cream and now you and I'd really like to keep it that way."

"My lips are sealed." Sonic nodded.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"You're welcome. Um, if you ever need to talk or anything…I'm here, okay? Whenever you need me." He nodded once more.

"Thank you." I scooted closer to him to give him a tight hug. The feel of his muscular torso in my arms sent butterflies to my stomach but I managed to push them down. His scent crept into my nose as my face lay inside his shoulder. His heartbeat sounded quietly in my ears, a soft, soothing noise. His arms wrapped around me as well. For a moment, we sat there, embracing each other. That was until he said something. "Um, this is…strange."

"How so," I asked as he began to let me go. I released him as well, looking up into his lime eyes.

"I'm not used to letting people get close to me." I crinkled my eyebrows together.

"We've only just talked. We haven't actually become friends or anything yet."

"Talking about this stuff counts as close to me. I don't share that information with anyone…"

"Not even Sally," I asked curiously. He shook his head.

"She's not the type of person you tell your darkest secrets to," he said lowly. "Nor is she the type to care."

"You deserve better," I murmured without thinking.

"Maybe," he whispered back. His eyes bored down into mine as he said this, causing my stomach to erupt into butterflies. "Come on, kitten, let's get you home. I think these freshman are waiting for us to give them a show." I looked to the freshman sitting on the bench staring at us with wide, anxious eyes. I blushed deeply but nodded.

He helped me down the bleachers before leading me to the parking lot. We walked towards a midnight blue motorcycle that, I admit, was beautiful. He threw his leg over the seat before handing me a helmet. "You ride a motorcycle," I said slowly.

"Yup. Hop on, kitten. Or are you scared of motorcycles too?" There was a teasing smirk on his face, his eyes burning with amusement. I let a smile of my own appear on my face. His ice wall was down. He was being…nice - I guess. I had made some progress with him. I hopped onto the space behind him, my legs pressing against his. I blushed softly at our closeness as I wrapped my arms around him. "That's a good girl," he told me as he put his helmet on. He revved the engine before flying out of the parking lot. The speed caught me off guard at first but I came to welcome it. The wind in my face and the adrenaline reminded me of my own vampire speed. I smiled into Sonic's back as he sped down the city streets of Orlando. Slowly, I took a peek into his mind to see if I had really broken down at least one of his walls. Immediately, a thought hit me right in the face.

_I could get used to this girl. _

I smiled wider as I tightened my arms around his waist. I think that I could get used to this boy.

**Review if you wish**


	10. He Did This For Me

**All characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 9: He Did This For Me **

I, honestly, didn't think Sonic and I being nice to each other would last all that long. When I got home, I had thrown myself on my bed and mentally prepared for him to be an ass the next day like he usually was. But to my surprise, he wasn't mean to me at all. The next morning when I was walking to second period with Cream, I passed him in the hallway. I knew what was coming as he approached me, his light green eyes gleaming with light. I clutched my books tighter to my chest so that he wouldn't know them out. He raised his hand as he got closer, causing my grip to tighten. But, instead of knocking my books out of my hand, he waved at me and offered a soft smirk. I stared, dumbfounded at him as we passed each other. What was that? I looked to Cream in confusion to see that she also looked a bit confused as well.

"Don't look at me," she told me with a soft shrug. I struggled to shrug off the friendly gesture as well but somehow I couldn't. My mind kept flashing the image of his soft smirk whenever I blinked, causing a small array of butterflies to fly up in my stomach. The image also caused me to become a bit anxious. I wondered what exactly I did to make him actually initiate a friendly interaction with me. I didn't think I'd told him anything super spectacular the day before. But then again, he did say that he'd never expressed his brief information about his mother's death with anyone. But what did I do to make him tell me that? He wasn't inclined to tell me anything after I told him about my amnesia. I just wanted him to know my story. I needed to get out the subtle sadness that was still tugging at my heart. I didn't mean to shed down his cold exterior.

When I once again passed him in the hallway as Cream, Blaze, and I were walking down to my locker, I raised my hand to return the wave that I was too shocked to give before. Sonic turned his green eyes to me as I did so and I saw his subtle smirk return. He raised his hand again in what I thought was going to be a wave. Instead, he knocked my books right out of my hands. Then he had the nerve to stick his tongue out at me.

My cheeks burned beet red as I stared after him in shock. His eyes stayed on me, his smirk growing into a boyish grin. His dimple appeared in his cheek again. I wanted to take into account how cute it was but my emotions were too wound up with trying to figure out if I was shocked or angry. I mean, he had just been nice to me and now he was being…playful, I guess the word could be. In math class, he'd probably be the mean jackass that he usually was. Maybe the wave this morning was just some of his leftover feel good feelings after our small talk the afternoon before. Him booking me was a sign that his niceness wasn't going to last – as expected.

"What the hell was that," Blaze asked as she and Cream bent down to help me get my books together.

"He waved to me this morning so I thought we were going to be wave buddies," I told her. "I guess not." Blaze frowned at me but didn't say a word. I know that she wanted to comment about our interaction but had no real reason to. We were only waving, after all. It wasn't like he was flirting with me or anything. Or at least I don't think he was.

In the cafeteria, while Blaze was bubbling on about Silver, my nose caught Sonic's distinct scent. I turned my head to see that he, Tails and some of the other boys from their table were approaching us. I blushed deeply as Sonic sat right down beside me. I stared at him with wide eyes while Blaze looked around in confusion as some of the other boys sat down beside her. Tails sat down next to Cream causing her to smile shyly at him. "What are you doing," I whispered to Sonic. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Whatever I want. It's a free country," he replied. Yup, Sonic the asshole was back. He took one of the grapes out of my fruit container and popped one into his mouth. "Hi to you too, kitten," he said as he chewed.

"Hi wolf," I said unsurely. I looked to Blaze to see that she was raising a suspicious eyebrow at me. The red haired boy next to her was trying to make conversation with her but she was too busy giving me evil eyes to pay him any mind. I shrugged helplessly at her. I didn't know what was going on. He was the one who sat down next to me. I didn't invite him over here.

_That bitch, _I heard Sally's voice say in my head. I silently swore as I remembered Sonic's non-girlfriend. I could feel her sapphire eyes sending daggers at the back of my head. Reluctantly, I turned my head to see that her whole table was shooting me looks that could kill. Sally's glare was the worst of them though, her bouncy curls turning into devil horns atop of her head. Sonic looked over his shoulder as well. I glanced at him to see his mouth turn into a tight frown. His lime eyes burned with an emotion that I couldn't put a name on but I could tell that it wasn't good. I nudged his arm with my elbow causing him to look back down at me. I offered him a small, nervous smile as if to tell him not to worry about her. The negative emotion in his eyes quickly faded away and he offered me a soft smirk in return.

His friends were actually pretty nice to us as they conversed about the upcoming school events. The homecoming dance was the Friday night coming up and the boys were asking about if we girls had dates or not.

"I'm bringing my boyfriend," Blaze said with a daydream smile.

"No one has asked me but I'm still planning on going," Cream said.

"I'll go with you," Tails immediately responded. Cream blushed deeply after he said this but agreed to his invitation. They all then looked to me, their eyes wide with curiosity. I blushed under all the attention. I glanced at Sonic to see that he was raising an eyebrow, his eyes a bit anxious.

"I'm flying solo," I said as I raised my hands. The red haired boy sitting next to Blaze, Knuckles his name was, raised his hand up.

"Join the solo club," he said with a soft smile. I giggled but gave him a high five. I noticed Sonic's jaw tighten as he looked away. "You taking Sally, Sonic," Knuckles asked his friend. Sonic shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably," he muttered. "I heard there's going to be a big party after the dance at Jet Hawkin's house. You guys wanna go?"

"Hell yea," the two boys beside Blaze yelled. Sonic turned his lime eyes to Blaze who was staring at him in a bit of confusion. She blinked out of her confused gaze and nodded to the question.

"I think I'll pass," Cream said. Sonic shrugged his shoulders but moved on to his best friend.

"I'll pass too," he said. Cream smiled up at him and scooted closer to him. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sonic then turned his lime eyes to me.

"I'll go," I said softly. He smirked.

"Just don't go too hard on the alcohol this time, kitten," he teased. I rolled my eyes at him.

"You should be taking your own advice." Sonic's smirk grew into a grin as he shook his head at me. Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling that the period was over. We all got up from the table, bidding each other goodbye. Sonic's gaze lingered on me for a bit before he finally walked away. As soon as he was about a foot away from me, Sally attached herself to his arm. She turned her head to look at me, her sapphire eyes once again shooting daggers at me.

"Well, that was interesting," Cream said as she walked beside me. "What did you and Sonic talk about during study time? Or at the sleepover, I should say. He's been acting strange since Saturday morning." I shrugged my shoulders.

"We didn't really talk about much of anything Saturday morning. Yesterday, we kind of just…shared stories I guess." Cream raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to elaborate on that. "He told me…that his mom died…"

"Oh," Cream said with a soft nod. "He must be starting to really like you then." My heart impulsively skipped a beat at the sound of that.

"He doesn't like me," I said quickly. "He's just trying to be nice, that's all." Cream shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, Ames," she said simply. I dropped the subject and moved on to teasing her about Tails. She seemed a bit more comfortable about the change of conversation. I will admit that I did as well. While I would like revel in that fact that Sonic may like me, I knew that I couldn't. He had a girlfriend and I did not want to be a home wrecker. I was a hopeless romantic, not some whore who took other girls' boyfriends. I wanted romance, love, and affection – something Sonic may or may not be able to provide me with. Sure, something about his scent may be attracting me to him but I wasn't confident in the decision to follow the attraction. I didn't know Sonic all too well nor did he really know me. I had to take it slow with him. We had to be friends first then I could decide whether I could really put myself out there for him. God, I sounded so hopeless.

In eighth period, Sonic didn't talk much but I didn't mind it. I enjoyed his simple greeting and his answers to the questions I asked about the work we were doing. It helped get my mind off the romantic track that it wanted so badly to go on when it came to him. When the period finally ended, Sonic bumped me with his arm as he passed me. He didn't say a word as he did so but his lime orbs stared down at me as he did so. "Bye," I told him. His lips tugged at the ends but he stayed silent.

Blaze frowned at me when I approached her in the hallway. "Don't look at me like that," I told her. "I honestly don't know what Sonic's deal is."

"That's what's scaring me," Blaze said. "He's so hard to read. I can't tell if he likes you or if he's being friendly or if he's being an ass or what his problem is. He needs to stay the hell away from you."

"Why do you hate him so much," I asked.

"I don't hate him, Amy. I'm just trying to protect you. You're not the only one who can feel the connection the two of you have." I blushed. She grabbed my hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "I've experienced something similar with a human before and…it didn't end very well."

"Do you…do you wanna talk about it?" Blaze shook her head, her topaz eyes giving off no signs of what she was feeling inside.

"There's nothing to talk about. I was a young vampire and he was…he wasn't good for me. He tore me down to the core emotionally…physically." She shrugged. "I just don't want to see a human do the same thing to you. These connections are so strong and we can be so blindsided by them. They're so hard to interpret. Sometimes they're good connections while other times they're bad. None of us can really tell which one it is. All we feel is the attraction…" She looked to me. "I just want you to be careful, okay?" I nodded.

"I will." Blaze smiled.

"Good. Now get your fashionista face on; we're going dress shopping." I smiled at my friend's now beaming face as she continued to tug me down the hall. We dropped Adrian and Olivia off at my house before Blaze and I ventured off to the mall. Blaze and I shopped around a couple of stores before we both found the perfect dresses that were fitting for a homecoming dance and an after party. Finding the right look wasn't easy but Blaze and I managed to do it within two hours. By the time we were ready to leave, we were exhausted. The long school day hadn't exactly helped with all the running round we had to do at the mall.

As we were walking across the mall to the parking lot, my nose picked up the seductive, deadly scent that I'd smelled at the football game. I almost froze in my spot if Blaze hadn't grabbed my hand and sped up her walking. My figurative heart stopped as the smell was joined by a couple of others similar to it. I bit my lip as fear began to bubble in my stomach. Blaze kept her face calm as she slowly quickened our pace. The scent stayed close to us though, closer as we continued on.

"Hey there ladies," we heard a deep, teenage boy's voice say from behind us.

"Where you pretty girls going," another one chimed in.

"Ignore them," Blaze whispered to me.

"You can't ignore us, sweetheart," a third one said. Blaze's breath got hitched in her throat as the scents suddenly swarmed around us. I turned my head to see a unnaturally attractive dark haired boy with bright green eyes staring at me with a devious smirk. His fangs were subtly sharp – not enough for a human's eyes to notice but enough for mine to.

"Hi Amy," the boy said. How did he know my name? Fear continued to eat at my stomach as Blaze dragged me on. "You're much prettier in person," the boy continued to taunt me. "Immortality has made you even more beautiful than you already were." I tried to ignore him, to block out his voice but it was hard not to. It was deep, seductive, alluring… "Hmm, and you smell so good," he purred as he moved a bit closer to me. I held my breath as his scent invaded my nose. "Such a pretty, fascinating girl," he whispered in my ear. I looked to Blaze to see that two other boys were swarming around her. Both of them were whispering in her ear, their hands skimming her body. She continued to ignore them though, keeping her topaz eyes straight ahead of her. I noticed the mortals around us paid the group of us no mind although it was clear that Blaze was being halfway molested by two of these idiots. Couldn't they see them?

"Don't touch me," I murmured as I felt the boy's hands lightly grab my waist. I leaned closer to Blaze.

"Hm, that would be smart but what Scourge doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Scourge," I asked, my head snapping towards the vampire. Blaze's hand tightened around me, giving it a soft tug. I ignored her, keeping my eyes on the vampire next to me. The vampire's smirk widened.

"He's been looking for you, beautiful. Your brother too. He was pretty upset when you were taken away from him but since the boy had the nerve to escape." He clicked his tongue as he shook his head. "He's not very happy."

"Amy, get in the car," I heard Blaze say. I looked away from the vampire to see that Blaze was at the driver's door while I was at the passenger side. I looked to the vampire to see that he was still smirking at me.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll see each other again." I shuddered at his promise. I quickly got into the car and closed my eyes. The tears I'd been hiding during our small ambush began to fall as Blaze sped out of the parking lot. Blaze didn't say a word as she drove. She let me cry in peace. Her concerned thoughts swarmed around me but I refused to listen to them. I was so afraid. Who were those vampires? How did they know Scourge? What did they want? Were they going to tell Scourge where Adrian and I were? Were they here to kidnap us and take us back to him? Were they going to hurt us?

I was still crying when I walked into my house. My family was sitting in the living room, crowded around the living room while a football game played on the television. Adrian immediately looked up at me as I stood in the doorway, my face stained with tears. In a millisecond, I was in his arms. "Ames," he murmured as he cradled me close. "Are you alright? What's-" He cut himself off as he took a whiff of my hair. "Oh no. No, no, no…"

"Amy, sweetheart, what's wrong," I heard my mother say as I felt her hand on my shoulder.

"Smell her," Adrian growled. The moment following his statement was filled with a tense silence. Their minds were all blank, shock taking over their bodies. "You still wanna tell me how we're safe here," Adrian challenged my parents.

"Adrian, now is not the time for arguing," my father said sternly. Adrian suddenly let me go and turned to my father. His emerald eyes were burning with anger, a scowl that expressed his fangs taking over his face. His fifteen year old face was gone once more and his reminder of our late father took over my traumatized mind. My mother quickly took me into her own arms and sat down in our big, comfy chair. She settled me down on her lap as an argument began.

"You're damn straight it's not! We should be packing! Fuck packing, we should be bolting the hell out of here!" Adrian yelled.

"We can't leave this place so suddenly," my father said calmly. "That will raise suspicions."

"I don't give a fuck about what these stupid humans think of us! I care about getting Amy and I to safety! If you don't want to help then I'll take her and we'll get ourselves out of this hell hole!"

"And go where? Adrian, where could the two of you possibly go that will be safe? If you don't remember: you have nowhere to go. Your parents are dead. Your living family thinks that you're dead. Your old friends are either dead or far away. There is nowhere for the two of you to go."

"Then I'll fucking find somewhere! I'm not staying here with Scourge's psychopathic minions running around! Do you know what they'll do if they find me? We're lucky that they didn't hurt Amy!"

"They will not harm you."

"That's a damn lie! You don't know who you're dealing with when it comes to Scourge! You don't know him like I do! You don't know what he'll do next but I do! So, with the knowledge that I have, I suggest we get the fuck up out of here before he comes down here and handles the situation!"

"We are not leaving," my father said sternly. "And that's final."

"Fine. You and Amber stay down here then fine but I will not let you keep Amy down here. You're just going to get her killed and she doesn't deserve that."

"Amber and I are protecting the both of you with our lives. You need to trust us when we tell you that we are keeping the two of you safe."

"I'll trust you when you prove it which I doubt you ever will." He scoffed. "Some fucking caregiver you are."

"Adrian," my father started as he took a step towards my brother.

"Don't fucking come near me. I don't want either of you near me. You want us to die then fine. Fine, I guess we're just going to have to fucking die then." Adrian then zoomed up the steps and I heard his room door slam shut behind him. My father looked shocked at Adrian's words as did my mother. His words had scared me. He believed that we were going to die…that Scourge was going to kill us. Was that true? Was the blue eyed boy in my pictures really aiming to kill what was once the people he loved?

I wiggled myself out of my mother's embrace to stand up. Both my parents looked to me in concern. "I'm gonna go talk to Adrian," I murmured. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, sweetie," my mother said as she stood up. She caressed my hair before kissing my forehead.

I slowly walked up the stairs to Adrian's room. I knocked softly on his door. "Adrian," I said, my voice a bit cracked. "Adrian, it's me. Please open the door." My brother obeyed my soft order. His face was practically red with anger but his eyes were soft with fear. I grabbed him into a hug after he let me in.

"We can't stay here, Ames," he murmured into my hair. "They'll tell Scourge and he'll…"

"Shh," I told him. I forced him to lie down on his bed. I lay down next to him and cradled his head in my lap. I stroked his hair as a lone tear fell down his face. "Everything will be okay," I told him. "Richard and Amber will protect us."

"Now's not the joking time, Amy. We can't trust them. We can only trust each other, Blaze, and Olivia. Blaze and Olivia know other vampires like us. They can get us to refugee camp or something. They know people. We can get out of here and get somewhere safe. We all can be safe."

"I don't want to put Blaze and Olivia in danger…"

"They're already in danger," Adrian snapped. "Blaze was with you when those idiots came onto you. They know who she is and they know who Olivia is. They can't stay here either. They'll just take advantage of them too."

"We can't just leave, Adrian. Richard was right. It will look too suspicious…not just to the humans. The vampires will know that we've fled and they'll find us. Maybe it will be better if we just stay here. We can act nonchalant about the situation and devise a plan. We can prepare ourselves."

"But what happens if those vampires get you alone? What if they hurt you or rape you or kidnap you? What happens then?" Adrian turned his head to look up at you. "I lost you once, Amy; I can't lose you again. You're all I have." Another tear fell from my brother's eyes, his youthful features once again surfacing on his face. The sight of his tears brought on my own. I leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"You won't lose me again," I whispered. "I promise."

"Can you…can you sing the song that mom used to sing? The one she sang the night before…" I stared down at him as his eyes flashed with the painful memory of whatever attack happened to our family. I stroked his hair and nodded. I closed my eyes and let my implicit memory do the work of finding the song that he was asking for. A soft, heavenly woman's voice took over in my mind but the words somehow found their way out in my own choked up voice.

"There's a mountain,

A mountain way up high

Where the angels dance

And the children sing."

Adrian closed his eyes as the song went on, his body relaxing. He began to curl up into a small ball, the youth in him showing even more.

"There's a mountain

A mountain way up high

Where souls go to play

And rest after a long life's day.

There's a mountain

A mountain way up high

Where the wind blows with peace

And the rivers flow with love.

There's a mountain

A mountain way up high

Where I will go someday

After the sun sets on me.

Remember this mountain

The mountain way up high

Because one day

It will reunite you and I."

Adrian was asleep now, two lone tears streaming down his face. A couple of tears had escaped from my own. The song was more of a poem than anything but it wasn't the words that had caused the tears. Instead it was the meaning behind the words. Our mother was singing about heaven, about our reunion there. She had known that she was going to die. She had known that there was a chance that Adrian and I was going to die as well. She wanted us to be together…up there in heaven. She wanted us to stay together. She wanted us to know not to be afraid…there was peace after death. I closed my eyes as more tears squeezed themselves out.

The next morning, I woke up before Adrian did. He was still curled up into himself, his frightened, youthful expression still on his face. I leaned down to kiss his forehead before carefully moving myself out from under him. I looked to his clock to see that it was about 9:00 in the morning. We were more than just late for school. Since Amber and Richard hadn't woken us up, I figured that we didn't have to go. After our scare last night, I didn't blame them for not sending us. I could hear their soft voices in the lower level of the house but I didn't go downstairs. Instead I went into my room and lay down on my bed. I took my old diary out from under my bed and continued reading on about the vampire attack on our town.

Amy Rose didn't believe in vampires. She thought that the news was all bullshit. She thought that they were just making something up to cover up whatever true violence was going on. She figured that maybe some wild animal was loose or cannibals had gotten to the U.S. or there was some super weird gang violence going on. Her best friend, Blaze had agreed on her thoughts that the vampire news was all bullshit. She didn't believe in vampires as much as she didn't believe in two-inch heels. Her boyfriend, Scourge, however seemed to be a bit convinced that the vampires were a real thing. He was constantly worrying about her safety and always tried to be by her side. That was until he disappeared for three days. Amy practically drove herself crazy over her missing boyfriend until he finally popped up at her house on night. She said that he was different though…he wasn't acting like himself. He wasn't easygoing or lighthearted anymore. Instead, he was tense and frustrated all the time. Amy wanted to believe that it was just his nerves since his parents had disappeared as well. However, one night, as they were hanging out, she saw the bite marks on his neck. Then she knew… She knew that he wasn't human anymore. She had run away from him after she discovered the wound and told her parents. In her last entry, she was writing about how her family was moving and preparing to take off to New Jersey where they had a house. There was a sudden change in her handwriting from neat to sloppy. The last thing she wrote was: _Scourge is __in my house; he's trying to kill me. _

The next thing after the sentence caused my body to run cold. Written in what looked like smeared blood was the phrase: _TOGETHER FOREVER. _It was written over and over in the pages to come in an unfamiliar but equally neat handwriting. On the very last page there was a letter addressed to Amy Rose, the girl I used to be. It was written in pen instead of blood and was long and almost heartfelt. I was reluctant to read it but decided to anyway.

_Dear Amy, _

_I'm sorry that it had to come to this. I never meant to hurt you. I only wish to be with you…forever – just as we'd planned before. When you wake up, things will be better. You and I will be the same. We'll be immortal and have all the time in the world to be together. We can love and we can be free. We can travel the world like you wanted to. We can go to Paris, Mexico, Spain, England, Los Angeles – wherever you want. We can still have our happily ever after. We can get married and maybe adopt a child and turn them into a vampire as well. Then we can be one happy family – forever. Just like you wanted. We can be happy. I want to make you happy. That's why I had to do this. I had to make you like me. I even turned Adrian so that you wouldn't have to go through this alone. We all can be together, just like how it used to be. We all can be happy. I only ask one thing so that we can reach this happiness: Don't hate me. Please. I love you. _

_Your love, _

_Scourge_

Tears were streaming down my face as I read the letter. By the end, I was absolutely hysterical. Scourge...Scourge did this to me. He changed me into a vampire. He did it because he loved me. He did it because he wanted us to be together – forever.

Without thinking, I threw the diary across the room. My implicit mind flooded my body with anger. I hated him. I hated him for turning me into this…this thing and then trying to say that he did it for the sake of love. I hated him for loving me. Hell, I hated myself for loving him – for still loving him.

I hadn't noticed Adrian standing in the doorway when I'd thrown the book across the room. He was staring at me, his emerald eyes filled with sadness. Scourge changed him because of me. Because he wanted me to be happy. God, this was all my fault. All of this was my fault. "Stop that," Adrian said. I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion. "Stop giving yourself a little pity party," he said. "None of this is your fault. You can't help the fact that the venom turned Scourge into a crazy, love struck psychopath. You loved him. A part of you still loves him. You shouldn't have to be ashamed of that. He was a big part of your mortal life. He loved you back. But the Scourge you fell in love with is gone. So stop crying and get yourself together. He doesn't deserve your tears." Adrian walked up to my bed and sat down beside me. He wiped my tears away. "No more crying," he told me softly. "I've always hated it when you cry."

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Don't be," he replied. He smiled softly at me as he pulled me into a hug. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you too, Adrian."

My brother and I stayed in our embrace for a long while before my parents came upstairs. They told us the unsurprising conclusion that we weren't going anywhere. Adrian wasn't particularly happy about that fact but he let it go nonetheless. My parents then tried to reconcile with us by taking us out to a nice lunch at the mall and then letting us go on a shopping spree. Richard took Adrian to shop for clothes, games, and anything else he wanted while Amber followed me around the various clothing stores. Eventually, I did end up in a bookstore. Due my heavy loads of school work, I hadn't had much time to read. But, I didn't have any new books at home so I figured that I could get some more while I was out.

The smell of the books immediately wiped away the lingering sadness that was swimming over me from the events that morning. I marveled around the shelves of the young adult section of the bookstore while my mother kept a close distance behind me. I could see a soft smile on her face as I babbled on about the books I'd already read that were in the store as well as the ones I thought were interesting. Just as I was skimming around the paranormal romance genre, the familiar scent of peaches and sandalwood filled my nose. I turned my head to see Sonic dressed in a simple black tee and jeans with a nametag on his shirt. There was a big bin of books next to him in which he was restocking the shelf.

"A friend from school," my mother asked softly from behind me. I blushed softly as I turned my head to look at her.

"Something like that," I told her. She glanced at Sonic whose scent was pulling me even more towards him.

"He's staring at you," she whispered with a smile. I blushed. "I'll give you ten minutes. No kissing," she said. I rolled my eyes at her but smiled. She then turned on her heel and walked out of the aisle. I turned my head back towards Sonic to see that his lime eyes were on me. I waved at him as I took a step towards him.

"Hey," I told him. "Fancy seeing you here." He looked down to the basket filled with books that I was carrying. He raised an eyebrow.

"Nerd," he said simply.

"Says the one who works in a bookstore."

"I don't read them. I just ring them up and put them on the shelves. Then I get some money put in my pocket."

"Hmm, must be nice."

"What?"

"Working in a bookstore." He crinkled his eyebrows together in confusion. "Books are a wonderful escape from reality. You get to become someone else for a little while." Sonic tilted his head at me. "Plus they're so comforting…relaxing."

"You read a lot, I assume."

"Yea. I like books." Sonic took a step towards me, taking the rolling bin with him.

"What's your favorite book?"

"It's kind of old…and not very well known."

"Tell me."

"It's called Beautiful Disaster." Sonic nodded.

"Isn't that the name of a Kelly Clarkson song?" I giggled but nodded. "What's it about?"

"It's about two college kids who fall in love in a really weird way. He's a cage fighter type guy and he makes a bet with the girl to stay in his apartment with him for a month while he stays abstinent if he wins. It sounds weird, I know but it's a really good book. I enjoyed it."

"Hm, is there a movie version?"

"Not that I know of."

"Ugh, so does that mean I have to read it?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to." We had been inching closer to each other as we talked so now we were right next to each other. His lime eyes were glowing with interest as I spoke, his eyes catching my every word.

"I want to," he murmured. I blushed. I walked around him to the other end of the aisle. His eyes followed me. "You weren't in school today," he said.

"I woke up this morning with a really bad fever," I lied. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I thought back to the events of the morning.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"No problem." I reached the end of the aisle and looked behind me to see that he was close behind me. I blushed as I looked up at him.

"May I help you," I teased. He stared down at me for a moment before blinking a couple times. His cheeks darkened the slightest bit as he shook his head. He took a step back.

"No." He looked up over my head. I heard my mother's faint thoughts in my head and I knew she was standing there. I blushed softly. "I will see you tomorrow, kitten," Sonic said simply before turning around and walking back to the bin of books. I opened my mouth to say something back but I left our conversation at that. As I turned around, I let a small smile creep around my lips. I would see him tomorrow.

**Review if you wish**


	11. Stop Confusing Me

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except for my OCs.**

**Chapter 10: Stop Confusing Me **

The drive to school the next day was uncomfortably tense and silent. Blaze kept her eyes on the road, a subtle frown on her face. Olivia didn't speak either. Instead she intertwined her hand with Adrian and kept her topaz eyes on the world passing us by. Adrian looked more alert than he should, his emeralds skimming every little thing that came close to us. I think I was the only one who was actually not on edge. Sure, I was afraid of what was to come and I was still upset about the information I'd discovered the day before. I couldn't show that emotion though. I couldn't keep crying and moping around and wishing that things were different. I had all the knowledge that I needed to know about my old life and my transformation into this new one. I had to just accept the information and keep going. Besides, I didn't want Adrian worrying about me anymore than he already was. I was his big sister; I had to be strong for him. I hadn't been doing that lately so now I had to step up to the plate. I had to stop being a sentimental crybaby and move on. If Adrian could do it then so could I.

Blaze didn't speak of the taunting vampires at all during the day – not that she would've anyway. Throughout the day, she instead kept an optimistic mood and talked to Cream about homecoming dresses and makeup and such. She constantly tried to get me into the conversation but I couldn't really get into it. I will admit that although I wasn't on edge, I was a bit out of it. My brain was exhausted from processing all the information about Scourge – and then Sonic's sudden friendliness towards me. At lunch, he and his friends once again sat with us and he tried to share his fries with me. I had stared at the potato strip things with suspicion when he first offered. "Remember that I am eating them too so there's not a chance that there's poison in them," he told me.

"What if there's poison in only the side you're offering me?" I asked. Sonic rolled his eyes and turned the plate around.

"Better," he asked.

"Much," I said with a soft smile. He rolled his eyes at me again before turning his attention to the conversation going on at hand. It was strange…having him so close next to me. His scent was once again swarming around me, begging me to scoot closer to him. However, this time it wasn't as desperate. Instead it seemed more patient, content with the fact that I was somewhat close enough to him. Before, it was practically pleading for me to know him. Now, it seemed as if it were calming down with its pleas.

Sonic and I didn't really get a chance to really talk in eighth period since we were taking a test. I was okay with the fact though. I was still out of it, my mind subtly spinning as it continued to struggle with what it knew. While I could manage sparing out a couple of statements in a group conversation, I wasn't sure how well I could do with a full blown conversation. Especially with Sonic. While he was nice to me the day before at the bookstore, I had a feeling that he was only trying to keep up an image for his job. If he wasn't on duty, I knew he probably would've teased the living hell out of me. I was surprised that he didn't have any comments earlier that day at lunch. But then again, I think even he could see that I wasn't having the best day in the world. While I was smiling, I doubt that my eyes gave away the impression that I was happy. I wasn't exactly sad but I wasn't exactly too happy either.

After the school day ended, I took the liberty of walking to the small frozen yogurt café a block or two away from the school. It was a warm, sunny late October day in Florida so I decided that a nice walk would do me some good. When I had told Adrian my plans this morning, he tried to convince me out of it. He wasn't exactly happy with the fact that I would be alone but I tried to convince him that I was going to be okay. I just wanted some time to be alone, read a little bit, and get my mind back on track. Adrian was reluctant to agree but he eventually did. He understood my reasoning, thank goodness.

The frozen yogurt café was a small, vibrantly colored building that was mildly filled. Most of the people in the café were high school students who went to my school. There were some groups of friends there, quietly hanging out while others were alone with their noses in a novel. There was soft pop music playing in the speakers but not super loud – just enough to keep a solo person company.

I ordered myself an Oreo milkshake and a brownie before taking a seat in a small booth in the corner next to big window. I took one of the new books I'd gotten the day before out of my bag and set it down on the table. The novel was a contemporary young adult romance that gave off a promising plot line about a gang member and a white collar teen falling in love. I flipped open to the first page and began to read. I picked over my warm brownie and cold beverage as I did so, the junk food giving me some comfort. The whole routine was relaxing to me. The booth was comfortable, the book was entertaining and my snack was delicious. All of it was exactly what I needed.

"So we meet again," I heard a seductive voice say. My head snapped up to meet the bright green eyes of the vampire who had been taunting me at the mall. He was smirking at me, his slightly sharpened fangs in view. He wasn't alone. The other two vampires who had been crowding around Blaze was standing at the ends of the table, blocking my way out. They were bigger than the lean but still muscular one who sat across from me in the booth. They were also very attractive but their intimidating expressions and frighteningly alluring scents prevented me from even considering they were cute. "And you're alone this time," the vampire continued to speak. "Much better."

"What…what do you want," I asked as I looked cautiously between the vampire in front of me and the two standing guard. Although fear had risen inside my body, I knew that I had to stay calm. If I freaked out, my blast could come back and they might retaliate. I did not need that drama in front of all these mortals. "Who…who are you?" I tried to peek into their minds but I came up with nothing. Adrian was right about their shields. I couldn't even get a small sliver inside of their heads. The thought caused even more fear to rise up in my body. What did they want with me?

"Who we are is not of much importance," the vampire said. "What we want, however, is something that only we know and something that you will soon find out." My breath got hitched in my throat at the sound of that. The vampire tilted his head as his smirk widened. "No need to look so afraid, sweetheart. We will not harm you as long as you cooperate. Can you do that for us?"

"I…" I glanced at the vampire blocking my end of the booth to see that he had taken a step closer to me. I gulped down the fear in my throat as I tried to focus my energy into my hand. While I had only used the blast but once – by accident – I had to at least try to use it again. If I wanted to get away from these freaks, I would need a small fighting chance. Hopefully, I could do it quick enough so that the mortals wouldn't notice.

"Everything alright here," I heard another familiar voice say from behind one of the vampires. The one sitting across from me glared at the boy who was now coming between two of the vampires blocking my exit. I raised my eyebrows at the sight of Sonic. For once, I don't think I had ever been so happy to see him. He didn't look at me. Instead, he kept his lime eyes on a glare with the vampire sitting across from me.

"Everything is perfectly under control," the vampire replied in a cool tone.

"I beg to differ," Sonic replied, glancing at me. I squeezed my fist together as I felt the energy in it dying down a bit. "I'd suggest you get away from her and stay away."

"Or else what?" Sonic's eyes flashed a dark, almost black color as his glare hardened. His jaw tightened as his eyes examined the vampire before me. At the sight of the dark flash, the vampire looked a bit…surprised – almost afraid even.

"Leave," Sonic said, his voice cold as ice. The sound sent shivers down my spine. The vampire frowned as he looked to me.

"He will not be happy with this," he said simply before getting up. "This isn't over," he whispered so low that I doubt Sonic's ears could catch it. He sent my lime eyed boy a glare before walking away. His two body guards seemed hesitant but followed him. I kept my gaze on them as they gracefully walked out of the shop, the mortal girls' eyes following them with lust. Oh no… They were going to tell Scourge about Sonic. No, no, no…

"Are you alright," I heard Sonic say. I looked back to Sonic to see that he was sitting next to me in the booth. A concerned frown lay on his face as his lime eyes scanned my body. "Are you hurt? Did you hurt you or anything?"

"No," I murmured. "I'm fine. Thank you." Sonic hesitated but raised his hand up to my cheek. He gently wiped away the lone tear that I hadn't realized had fallen from my eye. His touch was soft as a feather against my skin, leaving a ticklish feeling behind it. I blushed softly as I looked down. "Thank you," I repeated.

"Do you know those guys?" I shook my head. "Who were they? Do you know their names?" I shook my head once more. He sighed. "Do you know why they were bothering you?" I looked up into his lime eyes that were filled with genuine concern and fear for me. I opened my mouth to tell the truth but then closed it again. For some reason, I felt comfortable with telling him the revised version of what was going on. A part of my brain intuitively knew that he wouldn't tell anyone else what was going on. I knew that he would keep it between us.

"Let's just say that when my accident happened, there was a lot of…unfinished business that's coming back to haunt me." Sonic's eyes darkened once more, their color turning a deep shade of emerald instead of their bright lime. "Thank you for making them go away. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome," he said simply. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"That's okay. I can…I can walk home."

"I'm not going to leave you alone…not when those imbeciles are out there." He growled the insult as if it were some type of curse word. "Come on, kitten." I gave up the battle and followed him up out of the booth. We walked outside to his motorcycle that was waiting in the parking lot.

"What were you doing here," I asked him as I raised an eyebrow at his parked bike. I hadn't smelled him before I heard him as I usually did. But then again the same thing happened with the vampires. Was there something wrong with my scent? I leaned closer to Sonic and took a soft whiff of him without his knowledge. His scent was strong and alluring, as usual so why hadn't I detected it before? Was my mind too preoccupied with the vampires?

"I don't know," Sonic said absentmindedly. He grabbed his second helmet off his bike and handed it to me. I put it on as he threw his leg over the bike to straddle it. He then hooked up his own helmet. I got on behind him once he was settled and wrapped my arms around his waist. He revved the engine before pulling out of the parking lot. He drove fast like he did the last time but I enjoyed the speed. I also enjoyed the close proximity with him. My cheek was pressed on his firm back, my legs overlapping his, and my arms wrapped around his fine torso. And he smelled so good… My teeth sharpened slightly causing me to bite down on them. No, no, bad vampire instincts. I couldn't bite him. Not when he was just starting to be nice to me.

"Thank you," I told him as I was getting off his bike. He nodded as he lifted the tinted glass up off his helmet to reveal his amber eyes. He didn't say anything more so I offered him a smile before taking a step towards my house.

"Wait," he said as he grabbed my wrist. I looked back at him to see that he had taken off his helmet. His face was scrunched up in a look of uncertainty yet he dug into the pocket of jeans and pulled out his phone. "We should exchange numbers…just in case you get in trouble again. Then you can call me." I raised an eyebrow although my stomach was tingling with joy.

"Okay," I murmured. I dug out my own cell phone and handed it to him. He gave me his as well. I fiddled around with his touch screen as I typed in my information. As a joke, I saved my name as Kitten. When he handed my phone back to me, I saw that he had the same mentality since he'd saved his name as The Big Bad Wolf. I giggled down at the sight. I looked up at him to see that there was a soft smirk on his face, his light green eyes warm. His smirk grew the tiniest bit as our eyes met. I blushed softly under his stare. "I should get in the house. Thank you again."

"Call me if those freaks bother you again."

"I will." I turned around towards the walkway but turned around once more to face him. Without thinking, I gave Sonic a soft hug. He froze under my touch, his breath hitching in his throat. His scent filled my nose, sending warm butterflies to my stomach. My head lay against his chest, his soothing heartbeat sounding in my ears. I wanted to bask in how good he felt but he cleared his throat and backed up a bit on his bike. I blushed deeply but quickly let him go. "Sorry," I apologized. I glanced up at him to see that he was staring at me with a confused expression. "You're just…you're not half bad when you're nice."

"Hm," he said simply. "Get in the house. I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded, offering him another soft smile. I turned and made my way up to my front door. As I was opening the door, I looked back to see that he was staring at me. His mouth was in a soft smile, his dimple showing once more. I waved at him in which he gave me a nod of acknowledgement. I let my smile widen as I turned and walked into the house.

I crept into the kitchen to grab a bottle of blood before creeping upstairs into my room. Adrian was in there, my old journal in his hands. I saw that he was on the very last page…the page with Scourge's letter. I sighed as I shut the door behind me. I sat down next to him on the bed and lay my head on his shoulder. "You smell like a mix of mortal and Bana," he commented. I blushed softly. "Did you run into them again?"

"Yes. But it's okay; I'm fine. My friend helped me," I told him.

"The guy who was giving you lovey eyes outside?" I blushed deeper.

"He was not giving me lovey eyes." He rolled his eyes.

"If he wasn't then you sure were. Do you like him or something?" I opened my mouth to say no but I stopped myself. Did I like Sonic? I had never really thought about that question in any real depth before. I was always too wound up with thoughts of trying to ignore the attraction I felt towards him with his scent…or was that a signal that I liked him? I dug through my mind about the butterflies I got whenever I was near him. That was a normal, mortal sign of catching feelings for someone. But Sonic was always so mean to me. How could I like him?

"I don't know," I admitted.

"You don't know or you don't wanna know," Adrian questioned. I shrugged.

"Honestly, Adrian, my mind doesn't know much of anything anymore. One moment, its focusing on Sonic and how confusing and infuriating he is but how I want to know him…and the next it's going through the past and wrapping around how to adjust that information into the present. I don't think I even thought about liking Sonic…I just feel attracted to him when he's near me."

"What kind of attraction?"

"It's his scent…something about his scent keeps tugging me towards him – in more ways than just physically…"

"So you feel emotionally attached to him too?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes I just wanna hold him and talk to him and…take care of him." I looked up at my brother. "Tell me this is normal, please."

"It's normal, Amy. You don't have to worry about that. Some vampires do have strong connections with mortals that are romantically linked but with since you are a guardian warrior: he might be the human – or the bloodline you're destined to protect."

"Why him?"

"If I could answer that, I would but just like in the mortal world: there are some questions that can't be answered."

"So, I'm supposed to…protect him?"

"Essentially," Adrian said simply. "Guardian warriors are like guardian angels – only in the flesh. We protect the human from harm by either getting close to them or watching them from a distance. I don't know why these specific humans are chosen but they are."

"Do they ever do great things with their lives?"

"I don't know. I just know that you get assigned a human and you protect them. That was the basic memo I got." I looked down at the diary Adrian was still holding in his hands. His thumb was skimming the page with the letter written on it. He sighed, closing the diary completely. He set it down beside him on the bed. He then kissed my head before getting up. I watched him go, waiting for him to say something about what Scourge had written. He didn't say anything. Instead he kept walking and shut the door softly behind him.

The next morning, I woke up in a little bit of a better mood. The homecoming dance was that night which meant that I was going to have a little bit of fun. Hopefully, I could finally get my mind off of everything that was going on. After school, I was planning on going to Blaze's house to get ready and then ride with her and Silver. We planned to meet Cream at the dance and then go to the after party in which I will try not to get blackout drunk again.

The school day went by pretty quickly for me. It wasn't long before I was in Blaze's house with her skilled hands working my hair. She straightened my hair into long pink waterfalls before inserting big, bouncy curls in my hair. She then worked on my makeup to give me a cute bronze, glowing look. She merely straightened her own hair and gave herself a smoky eye. Then we wiggled into our dresses. I had brought a fitted gold dress that had a halter top and emphasized my curves. Blaze, on the other hand, had purchased a black and red lace dress that emphasized more than just her curves. The dress outlined her perfect hour glass figure with particular interest to her chest and her hips. Silver almost passed out when he saw her walk down the steps. He had cleaned himself up and was wearing a black dress shirt with a red tie, black slacks, and black dress shoes. His dark hair was pushed back away from his face, giving full view to his vibrant green eyes. She smiled at him before landing a kiss right on his lips.

The dance was fun. The music was loud and provocative, everyone was dancing, and the dim light room made the atmosphere even more laid back. I danced for a while with my friends before I began to feel like a bit of a third wheel. It was difficult for them to dance with their dates and me at the same time. I saved them some trouble by slinking off by myself to get myself a drink. I was sitting down in one of the plastic seats against the wall, watching the happy mortals around me dance, when Sonic's familiar scent filled my nose. My eyes immediately darted to where he was dancing with Sally. She was seductively moving her hips against him to the beat of the song. His hands were gripping her hips, giving her some support through all her movement. Sally opened her eyes as Sonic dipped his head down into her neck. She was dancing in front of him so her eyes somehow flicked to me. I must've been frowning or something since she smiled slyly. She then turned around and kissed Sonic passionately – tongue and all.

I looked away from them, twirling my plastic cup in my hands. Without my permission, another image flashed before my eyes. Again it was of me and my two best friends. We were dancing, laughing, having fun. We had a younger appearance causing me to think we were freshman. Blaze and I were dressed in fitted dresses while Scourge was dressed in a nice dress shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Suddenly, I heard all of our laughter in my ears. The laughter invaded my mind, the sounds spinning around in my head. I bit my lip as my implicit mind tried to open the tear ducts. I closed my eyes as my body gave up the fight and a lone tear fell down my face. I quickly wiped it away but then another one fell. No…no…I could not cry here.

I got up and hurried to the bathroom. There weren't any other girls in the bathroom so I was able to lean against the wall and let out some of the tears that wanted to come out. I sobbed silently for a minute or two, letting my implicit mind get out the sadness that had suddenly overwhelmed me. I didn't cry long since I did take into consideration where I was and who could find me there. While I wasn't too familiar with a lot of the students here, I did know that rumors could start very easily – even for the people who seemed invisible.

Just as I was getting up to wipe my face, Blaze walked into the bathroom. Her mouth was pulled into a small frown, her topaz eyes filled with moisture. Relief poured through her eyes at the sight of me as she let out a soft sigh. "There you are," she said as she walked up to me. "One minute you were sitting against the wall and the next you were gone." She wrapped me up into a soft hug. "I was worried something had happened to you." She pulled away a bit, her topaz eyes taking notice of my tear stained face.

"I'm sorry," I told her as she wiped away some stray tears. "One minute I was fine and then I heard…our laughter in my ears and I-"

"Shh," Blaze cooed. "I understand. There's still a part of the old you in there somewhere. It's okay if it starts to feel nostalgic and sad. It's difficult not to be here." She smiled. "Just try to stay strong." I nodded and gave her a soft hug. She offered me another smile before whipping out her compact makeup kit to fix up my face. It only took her about five minutes before she was pulling me out the bathroom. My eyes immediately found Silver who was now leaning against the wall, his eyes looking around anxiously for his vanishing date. I nudged my friend.

"Go. Have fun. I'll catch up with you later," I promised her. She smiled at me as she gave my hand a soft squeeze. I let her go so that she could skip up to her boyfriend. A bright smile lit up his face at the sight of her and he wrapped his arms around her. I smiled at them before walking back to my lone chair.

I wasn't sitting down for five minutes before Sally flounced up to me. She took the seat next to me as she smiled at me. "Hey Ari," she greeted me.

"Hi," I replied as I forced a smile on my face.

"How come you aren't dancing?" She tilted her head at me.

"I don't know," I said with a soft shrug. Sally suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me up out of my seat.

"Come on then, girlfriend, let's go," she yelled as she tugged me towards the dancefloor. She dragged me into the middle of her dancing circle of gorgeous friends. I smiled sheepishly at all of them as I began to move my hips. _Act natural, _the voice inside my head told me. I obeyed its orders and danced along with the girls that I barely knew. I will admit that I had fun as I bounced around. The provocative music and senseless dancing helped get my mind off of the déjà vu that it was experiencing. Instead, my mind was filled with bliss and happiness. Sure, I may not have been dancing with my friends but I was dancing and I was having fun doing just that.

The party later on that night was equally as fun as the dance. I once again danced with Sally's friends who welcomed me with open arms before wandering off to get a drink. I tried to find someone I knew amongst the people in the kitchen to ask what exactly was in the red cups on the counter. Most people were just taking them and going on their way. I stared at them suspiciously, however. Blaze had told me not to take any drinks from someone I didn't know. I didn't know who had made these drinks so therefore I guessed that counted as the same thing.

"Take one," one of Sally's friends, Ashley, her name was, said as she came up beside me. "They're really good." She picked up a cup and handed it to me. "Here. Try it." The beverage's scent filled my nose, a sweet yet tangy smell. I forced a smile as I brought the cup up to my lips and took a small sip. The liquid was as sweet as it smelled with the underlying power of alcohol in its taste. I will admit that it was good and that I continued to drink it. However, I came to regret my decision. Not even a cup and a half later, I began to feel a bit woozy and dizzy. My vision began to blur in and out and I could feel my body weakening. I wiggled my way out of the dancing people and took a seat down on a vacant couch. I put my head down into my knees, trying to calm my spinning head.

"Alone again," I heard the seductive voice of the green eyed vampire in my head. I opened my eyes and looked to the other side of me. Sitting there with a red solo cup in his hand was the attractive green eyed vampire, dressed in a dress shirt and jeans. He seemed amused at my crippled position. "Unlikely timing for you yet perfect timing for me." He raised his hand and reached out towards me.

"Don't touch me," I growled as I quickly got up. The vampire chuckled.

"You wanna play?" He said seductively. "Let's play." He made a move to get up but I was gone way before that. I struggled not to use my vampire speed as I weaved my way through the crowd of people. I tuned into my acute ears, searching for a sign of Blaze's voice. Instead, I was bombarded with the amplified sounds of the music and random people's chatter. The noise irritated my body and slowed me down a bit. I kept going though. I had to. I couldn't let him get me. Not when I was in this state.

As I was rushing through the crowd, I looked behind me once to see if the vampire was following. I couldn't even register what I'd seen before I bumped right into a familiar torso. "Whoa there kitten," Sonic said as his hands grabbed my waist. He tried to steady me as my body began to shut down from whatever was making it feel the way it was. "Hey, are you alright," he asked, his accented voice suddenly laced with concern.

"Blaze…where's Blaze?" I mumbled.

"She went upstairs with her boyfriend. Why? Are you okay?"

"Tell her that I need to get home. He's coming…" I slumped into his arms, my body becoming harder to hold up under my wobbly legs. Sonic kept his hold on me, supporting me on my feet.

"Alright, kitten," he said as my head dropped down into his chest. I felt my feet fall from under me and suddenly I was in Sonic's arms – cradled like a child. He carried me like this through the house and down the long walkway to where his motorcycle was parked on the curb. He sat me down on the seat of his bike and strapped a helmet on me.

"What are you doing," I mumbled as I struggled to keep my vision clear. His face was blurring before me, sometimes doubling in number. "Where's Blaze? I wanna go home…"

"Shh, Amy. Just relax." My stomach tingled at the sound of his pronunciation of my name, his accent making it sound so beautiful. "Just trust me." I tried to reply but it just came out a jumble of mumbled nonsense. Sonic seemed to take that as an agreement. He helped me straddle the bike before getting on in front of me. He wrapped my arms around his waist and locked my hands together securely. I didn't hear him rev up the engine but I did feel the wind in my hair from the speed. That's the last thing I remembered that night…feeling the wind in my hair.

The darkness didn't make an appearance as I slept. Instead, my mind was blank for once. There was peace inside my usually panicking head. For once, I didn't think about Scourge or about my old life or about the new problems that were approaching me. I just…slept. The sensation felt good…really good. When I woke up, I didn't want to move. There was a comfortable mattress under me while a multiple sheets and blankets covered my body, sending warmth that tingled throughout my body. Even the pillow under my head felt divine. Everything around me felt so good…and boy did it smell good. All around me, I could smell the soft scent of peaches, sandalwood, and…Sonic.

My eyes shot open at that thought. Immediately, I caught sight of a trophy rack that held multiple trophies. What the…? I shot up in the bed, my mind protesting blatantly in pain but I chose to ignore it. My eyes scanned around the royal blue painted room that held a desk, this big bed, posters of athletes, a TV, a bean bag chair, and a black carpeted floor. My eyes went to the window that was covered with black curtains. Where the hell was I?

"You awake, kitten," I heard Sonic's voice ask. Shit. I turned my head to look at Sonic who was laying on the floor next to the bed, the side closest to me. He was propped up on his elbows, his amber eyes staring at me with concern. On impulse, I grabbed the blanket and covered up my torso. That was when I noticed that I wasn't wearing my dress anymore. Instead there was an oversized tee shirt on me with my lingerie still intact.

"Where am I," I asked. "Why did you bring me here? Did you undress me?" Sonic quickly stood up and held up his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I didn't undress you. Cream got you changed for me. I would never-"

"Where is Cream? Where are we?"

"We're at my house, kitten. You're in my room."

"Why? Why am I in _your_ room? Why did you bring me here?" He took a step towards me in which I scooted back a bit. Sonic's face fell in sincere hurt that made my heart break but he took another step towards me. He continued taking baby steps towards me until he climbed onto the bed with me.

"I didn't know where else to take you. I couldn't take you home; you were unconscious. I think someone spiked your drink or something. Did someone try to hurt you? You were pretty shaken up when you bumped into me." I opened my mouth to tell him that I'd ran into the same guy who'd been harassing me before but I quickly shut it right back. While I wanted to think that Sonic wouldn't worry himself about my problems of being stalked by crazy dudes, I couldn't help but wonder if he meant what he'd said in the frozen yogurt café. Was he really going to make sure I wouldn't have to worry about those guys harassing me? I mentally shook my head. No, Sonic would probably join in on the harassment thinking it was a game. Or he was going to get himself hurt by trying to protect me from vampires. Both of those options didn't sound very good.

"You didn't answer my question as to why I'm in your room."

"You didn't answer my question as to if someone was trying to hurt you." I sighed.

"Yes…someone tried to hurt me."

"Those guys from before?" I nodded. Sonic stared at me for a moment, his jaw tightening. "Did they harm you at all?" He asked, his voice holding a cold undertone to it. I shook my head.

"I'm fine," I assured him. Sonic didn't look convinced as he got up from his spot on the bed. I watched him as he walked towards his dresser. "You still didn't answer my question."

"Well, there are two answers. Do you want the truth or the revised version?"

"The truth please." Sonic hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I wanted to keep an eye on you," he said lowly. "You hungry?" He changed the subject.

"Not really? My head is killing me though," I confessed. Sonic nodded.

"As expected." He opened one of his drawers and grabbed a small pill bottle out of it. He showed me the bottle that read Tylenol and shook it softly. I blushed softly at the gesture while my vampire senses growled in irritation. While I wasn't physically hungry, my body was longing for blood. I needed the energy after what the drugs had done to my body. I wasn't even sure the small pill was going to work for me. Hopefully, I would be able to go home in no time so that I could take care of my body's aching state.

Sonic shook two pills into my hand as he perched down beside me. I popped them into my mouth as he grabbed a full bottle of water off of his nightstand. He handed me the bottle with which I drunk down the pills. Sonic watched me, his eyebrows pulled together in soft concern. His lime eyes were roaming my face, their amplified color pools of mixed emotions. I held his stare as I thanked him for the medicine. He nodded his head in response. I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it…and then opened it once more. "Why are you being so nice to me," I asked cautiously. The question had been swimming around in my head since I woke up. Why would he let my crash in his room when Cream's room probably wasn't too far down the hallway? Why did he want to keep an eye on me? Why was he helping me?

Sonic's mouth twisted into a scowl of annoyance as he averted his eyes to the floor. "Because," he said simply. "What is it with you? You ask why I'm mean to you and when I'm not mean then you ask why I'm being nice. Can't you take my actions with a grain of salt and take a hint?" His voice held an cold edge that caused my heart to cower away from him.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "It's just…you're just so confusing. One minute you're a total jerk to me and the next you're trying to be best friends. It's confusing my judgements on whether it's okay to like you or not." Sonic suddenly looked up at me, his lime eyes wide with surprise. I was about to question his expression until I'd realized what I'd said. I'd admitted that I had the some sort of feelings for him but I was too confused as to whether to act on them or not. I'd admitted all that in simplification of the word "like". I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I looked down to the floor. Crap. "I mean…that came out the wrong way…" My stomach filled with nervous butterflies when he didn't respond. A heavy silence fell over us as he continued to stare down at me. I glanced up at him from under my eyelashes to see that he was staring back at the floor, his lips tightened into a line. I closed my eyes as I mentally swore at myself. How could I possibly be so stupid? He wasn't supposed to know that I was struggling with figuring out if I had feelings for him or not. Did I even have feelings for him that I was trying to keep back? Did I already like him? I continued to stare at him, my acute eyes analyzing his beautiful facial features. My eyes immediately went to his defined jaw line that led down to his neck where his pulse beat moderately. I quickly looked away before my thoughts could even go to the topic of his blood. I turned my attention to his high, elegant cheekbones, his perfectly molded eyebrows, his long eyelashes, his almond shaped eyes, his emerald irises, his full lips… God, this boy was beautiful. His scent called out to me at that thought, wrapping around me and pulling me towards him. The scent formed a hand that caressed my own jawline before moving over to his. Instantly, I felt myself wishing that I could feel the fragile bone on his face.

"You can't like me," Sonic spoke suddenly, breaking me out of my gaze. He was still looking at the floor, his mouth in an even tighter line.

"I know," I blurted out. I looked down at his comforter. "You're with Sally…I get it."

"It's not about her, Amy," he snapped at me. While my feelings wanted to be hurt at the sharpness of his tone, my heart couldn't help but to flutter at his pronunciation of my name. His accent was just so alluring… I quickly shook off the thought. No, no, now was not the time to be mesmerized by his voice. My eyes went back to his neck where his pulse beat softly in my ears. Oh, I was hungry. Crap. "I just don't want you to like me." Sonic's words snapped me out of my realization. I looked back up at his face to see that he was staring at me again, a firm expression on his face. My heart suddenly stopped fluttering and turned away from him like a neglected puppy.

"Oh," I said simply.

"Look, it's nothing personal, I just…I just prefer that we don't get close." I stared his beautiful face for a moment, letting his words sink into my brain. He didn't want me to have feelings for him. He didn't want us to get…close – whatever that meant. My chest tightened as an unwelcome feeling came upon my body. I knew that the feeling was rejection – my memory couldn't erase my knowledge of emotions.

"I should go," I murmured as I threw the comforter off of my legs. I tried to swing my legs over the edge of the bed but Sonic put his hand on my knee. The skin under his touch burned in pleasure but I ignored it. Now was not the time for my alluring attraction towards him. I needed to get out of here. It was obvious that he didn't want to get too close so I had to respect his boundaries.

"Wait," he said. "You don't have to leave."

"Yes I do," I told him as I looked back up into his lime eyes. They were wide with god only knows what emotion. I didn't want to interpret meaning behind his expression. I just wanted to get out of there before his words could affect me anymore than they already did. "Like you said," I forced out, "it'll be better if we didn't get close." Sonic's expression immediately fell, his lime eyes flashing with regret. He slowly lifted his hand up off of my knee as he looked away.

"Your dress is on my desk chair," he muttered as he nodded his head in the chair's direction. "Just open the door and I'll take you home." He got up from his seat and, without another word, walked out the room. He lightly slammed the door shut behind him, leaving me by myself in his room. I quickly forced myself out of his warm, comfortable bed and threw my clothes from last night on. I wrestled my hair into a ponytail and wiped the stray tears that had fallen from my face. I wished that I could say that his words hadn't hurt – that they hadn't affected me at all. But they did. The part of me that was attracted to him wanted to get close to him and see the person he was behind his "fuck off" sign. I didn't think I could even say a part of me then. All of me wanted to know him…

I opened his room door when I was fully dressed. Sonic was now in a pair of jeans, a tee and sneakers. He was leaning against the wall, his lime eyes trained down to the floor. He glanced up at me. "You alright," he asked.

"Yes. I'm fine," I replied. He nodded. He then led me out the house to his motorcycle in the driveway. The ride home was uncomfortable and tense. I felt strange being pressed up so close to him on the bike, my heart conflicted on whether to flutter or stay still. I had to keep mentally reminding myself to watch his boundaries. We were friends – kind of. I had to keep my heart happy with that.

I thanked him when we got to my house. He didn't take off his helmet to answer. Instead, he gave me a simple nod and revved the engine. He quickly turned the bike around and drove off down the street. I watched him go, my metaphorical heart frowning after him. I tried to get a peek into his mind as he went, desperate for a small piece of what he was thinking about. I didn't pick up anything since his wall was up. So, I let the thought of him flow to the back of my head as my vampire senses took over. I needed blood.

I quickly walked into my house and made a beeline for the kitchen. I took out two or three bottles of blood and sped up into my room. I sank down onto my floor as I downed the first bottle. The sweet taste soothed my weakened body as well as my hurt feelings. The euphoric sensation made me feel ten times better about Sonic. Once I was done all three bottles, I didn't feel too rejected. Instead, my mind opened up into a more understanding state. Sonic had been through a lot in his life. He had even told me that he wasn't used to letting people get close to him. Now, I figured that he didn't let people know his mushy insides. He pushed them away for whatever reason. Poor boy…

I camped out in my room for a couple of hours, letting my weak body get the rest it needed. I took a long shower first, washing away the negative vibes in my nerves. Then I put on a couple of romance movies on the television in my room and watched those for a couple of hours. I actually fell asleep while watching one of them. I didn't realize it until I heard a soft knock on my room door. I slowly opened my eyes and looked to my door as it creaked open. My mother popped her head inside of my room. "Hey sweetie," she said. "Your friend from school is downstairs." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"What friend," I asked groggily.

"The boy from the bookstore. Sonic, I think he said his name was." I crinkled my eyebrows further together. This boy was so confusing. One minute he was telling me that he didn't want me to like him and the next he was showing up on my doorstep. I honestly didn't even think he knew how confusing he was – he was just doing what his heart and mind was telling him to do. Obviously they were both doing different things. If only I knew which one was telling him to do what. Maybe then I could sort out my own innate attraction towards him and figure out what to do with it.

"I'll be down in a minute," I told my mother. She nodded before closing the door. I slowly got up and stretched out my cramped muscles. I threw on a light hoodie over my tank top and exchanged my mesh shorts for a pair of jeans. I threw on some shoes and brushed my hair so that it looked somewhat presentable. Then I descended down the steps to where Sonic was waiting in the hallway near the front door. He was wearing a similar outfit to what he was wearing when he dropped me off with the exception of a different colored tee shirt. His lime eyes looked to me as I approached him.

"You wanna go somewhere with me," he asked before I could even say hello. I crossed my arms as I stared at him in confusion.

"But earlier you said-"

"Forget what I said," he replied quickly.

"Sonic, this is what I meant about you being confusing. I don't think I can keep up with trying to interpret what to take to heart and what to discard."

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I know that I'm being confusing but I just…I don't know how to really express what I'm thinking or feeling. My head is all jumbled up when it comes to you and I get so confused and I just…I don't know what to do." His lime eyes burned with his conflicted emotions as he spoke. He took a step closer to me. "Right now, I just know that I can't…I can't hide from you anymore. I…I feel a need to be…to be close to you and I can't shake it off. No matter what I do, I can't get rid of the desire to know you." I blushed softly.

"Welcome to my world," I said sheepishly. Sonic's lips tugged at the ends, fighting to hide a smile.

"Come on, kitten. I want to show you something." Javier led me out the house and back to his motorcycle. He drove for a good twenty minutes before we finally approached a big cemetery. My heart squeezed with despair as an image of my deceased parents flashed before my eyes. _They're buried here_, my small voice told me. I swallowed down the lump that had formed in my throat. Tears threatened to brim my eyes but I refused to let them. Sonic was here to show me something of his, not to remind me of the awful reality that my implicit mind had to live with.

The cemetery was oddly elegant with its big memorials, wide open space, and the mysterious shade that lay over it. I didn't think it was too creepy. Instead, I thought it was pretty nice. Sonic didn't seem creeped out either as he led me across the open space. He seemed to have a good sense of where he was going since he didn't look back nor did he look around at anything. He kept his eyes straight, his jaw set with determination to get to his destination.

Luckily, the destination wasn't all too far. He stopped walking when we reached a shiny gray gravestone. There were fresh flowers laying on the ground in front of it, signaling that someone had been there recently. I didn't think anything of the gravestone until I read the engraving on it.

_Bernadette Evelyn Rodriguez_

_1996 – 2031_

_Beloved wife, mother and friend_

"Sonic," I murmured. "You didn't have to show me this." I looked up at him to see that his eyes were hard as he stared down at the gravestone. His shield was up, protecting whatever tears wanted to fall from his eyes. I scooted closer to him and lightly grasped his hand. I gave it a soft, comforting squeeze.

"My uncle killed her," he whispered. My eyes widened. Uh oh, this was so stepping over his boundaries. What was he doing? He didn't need to tell me this. This was personal…very personal. Was his attraction to me really that strong that it was helping him reveal his deep dark secrets to me? "He was um…he had been diagnosed with some disease that changed his whole mind around. My mother didn't know that at the time. She just knew that there was some type of virus going around and she was trying to protect me from it. We were at our old house when he showed up on our doorstep. He seemed fine at first. He gave joked around and wrestled with me. He even gave me money. Just like he always did when he would visit us. He and my mother used to be close. They were twins and they…they had a great bond." He paused. "He was fine throughout the whole day until around dinner time. He was helping me clean up and he…he tried to…" He closed his eyes, his breath coming out shaky. "My mom heard me scream when I saw his…weapon…and she intervened. You know how that ended…" He opened his eyes once more but kept them locked on the gravestone. "I tried calling 911 but I had to take my own action so I…I did what I had to do… The police didn't charge me with anything since they saw my wounds and they saw my mother's body. Besides they were well aware of the condition my uncle was in – they knew that I had to do it. When the news reached my dad, he lost his mind. That first night, in the hotel we had to stay in, he was throwing a big fit. He was yelling, cursing, throwing things. He was so angry… I told you before how he was in deep denial of her death so he kept acting as if she was still alive…as if she were still there with us. One day, he just stopped though. He just turned off whatever grief he felt for her and he started sleeping with Cream's mother. Next thing you know, he's remarried and all emotions of his past wife were erased." He shook his head. "He acts like she never existed…as if he never loved her…"

"I'm so sorry," I murmured as I gave his hand another squeeze. He looked down at me, his lime eyes soft.

"I don't let people get close to me because I've learned that people only hurt you. You can't trust or care about anyone in this world. Not your husband, not your friends, not even your own family. Anyone can turn their back on you and leave you for dead or try to harm you. It's easier to just push people away…save myself the pain of being betrayed. It was always easier…until you came along." I raised my eyebrows. "Why can't I push you away," he whispered, almost to himself.

"Because I won't hurt you," I promised him as I took a step closer. "I have no intentions to hurt you. You can trust me…I know the feeling of betrayal too." My mind flashed the image of the smiling blue eyed boy before my eyes. My heart ached as the words in his letter rang inside my head. _I never meant to hurt you_. Sonic gave my hand a squeeze back, causing the skin under his touch to tingle. His lips pulled up into the tiniest hint of a smile.

"I'll try." I offered a small smile.

"We can work on it." His tiny smile grew a bit more before he suddenly wrapped me up into a tight hug. I was surprised by the sudden contact as his scent swarmed around me. The scent sent a strange sensation to my stomach…a familiar sensation that I'd experienced yet in different arms. Despite the difference of who, I could pick out the meaning behind it. Sonic felt like home to me…as if that was where I was supposed to be. For once, I opened my heart to his scent and immediately, the homey feeling made itself permanent in my heart.

**Reviews are very much appreciated loves...**


	12. First

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 11: First**

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I'd finally broken down Sonic's walls. He could have been anything behind his hard expressions and his smart remarks. He could even have been evil for all I knew. But he wasn't. Instead, Sonic was just a lost, lonely boy with a heart that he kept inside a cage. He was afraid to care and afraid to be cared for. Sure, it was understandable due to his traumatic experience of witnessing his mother's murder yet I couldn't help but to feel bad for him. While we were gaining the true potential to be real friends once he had fully lowered his walls, I still had the longing to just hold him to tell him that everything would be okay – that the world wasn't as bad as it seemed. But then I would be telling him a lie and I couldn't bear to do that to him.

Sonic was different after our trip to his mother's grave. When we left, he took me to a waffle house where we ate pancakes and ice cream late at night. I didn't expect for him to open up to me even more while we were eating. He talked a lot about his ambitions, his hobbies, and his accomplishments. He wanted to be a detective one day. He expressed his love of crime television shows and movies and his interest in mystery games. He told me that he wanted to go to the state college to study Criminal Justice and work his way up the police hierarchy until he got his spot as a detective. He explained his contemplations of going to law school and studying criminal law or double majoring with psychology and be a criminal psychiatrist. He had an obsession with criminals, obviously. It was nice though, seeing a glimpse inside what was really going on inside of his head.

I didn't want to go inside of the house when he dropped me back off at my house. I was afraid that his kind, open personality would disappear and he would go back to being the guarded person I'd come to know. Thankfully, he didn't change. As the next few weeks went on, he continued his kind act to me. Sure, he continued to mess with me by knocking my books out of my hands or poking me repeatedly with his pencil at eighth period but it wasn't as annoying. Instead, I actually found it a bit funny. Sometimes, during the week, Sonic would call me with the intent of having a friendly conversation. We didn't really talk about much during those chats but it was enough to make me smile.

I found myself forming a bit of a huge crush on Sonic. Now that I was finally getting to see the real human behind his mask, I was beginning to like him – really like him. In a way, I think my emotions made the unanimous agreement because he reminded me of the way Scourge used to be – or the way he had been described in my journal. A funny, smart, charismatic, kind, and unnaturally handsome boy. I tried to scold my implicit mind for even comparing him to Scourge but even I had to admit that it was true. The two were alike in some ways. Javier just had more…edge to him I guess you could say. While Scourge was a preppy, nice guy, Javier was more of the "don't mess with me" bad boy with a sweet side to him.

He only showed that sweet side to me, though. Whenever we were at school, his "fuck off" sign was back on his forehead. He also didn't talk as much. At lunch with our merged table, Sonic didn't speak much. Sure, he'd comment and keep in on the conversation like he did before but I noticed that his eyes were in another world sometimes. That and I saw the restrain to genuinely care about the people he was talking to. Sure, he was perfectly fine with Brandon but that was his best friend. He had explained to me that Knuckles and the other boy, Shadow, were his friends as well but they didn't know as much about him as Tails did. So, he kept them at arm's length. I wished that he didn't have to be so reserved though. If he opened up to his friends, they would love him more than they already did. I wished that I could make him see that. I doubted he would believe me though.

Blaze and Cream began to grow suspicious of my interaction with Sonic. Blaze questioned me thousands of times about my feelings for him in which I always shrugged her off and told her that we were only friends. Of course, she didn't believe me. She didn't comment though. Instead, she just rolled her eyes and shook her head. In her mind, she thought that I was making a huge mistake. I still was ignorant to the reason why she felt so strongly against my association with Sonic and tried relentlessly to get a reasonable answer out of her. She always gave me the same answer of wanting to protect my immortal heart. "I'm just looking out for you," she would say. I loved her for being concerned but I did wish that she wasn't so hostile towards the subject.

Cream didn't really mind me becoming close friends with Sonic. She actually encouraged it a bit. Sometimes she would invite me over when Sonic and Tails were hanging out and disappeared with Tails, leaving Sonic and me alone to talk. Once, she gave me a knowing wink as she left the room. The sight sent a smile up my lips. My smile grew when her mind quoted my words of "I totally ship it."

My family also grew a bit cautious over me and my blooming friendship with Sonic – Adrian especially. Whenever Sonic would come over, he would give him the evilest little brother eyes that he could make. The first time he came over to hang out, Adrian bluntly asked "Who the hell are you" and refused to leave me alone in a room with him. Sonic thought it was funny while I did find it the slightest bit embarrassing. I was technically older than Adrian which meant that he should be an annoying little brother, not a protective one. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful that he cared enough about me to chaperone and everything. It was just a bit weird sometimes.

My parents hadn't met Sonic formally yet but they did greet him when they saw him studying with me. My mom would tease me by telling me that he was cute. I would nod and try not to let my thoughts go further than that. Yes Sonic was handsome but he was so much more than that. He was sweet and intelligent and funny and…everything other great adjective in the dictionary. My father didn't comment much about Sonic, thank goodness. He just asked if I had talked to him that night or if I was still feeling comfortable around him. He also frequently told me to be careful – he was still a boy and had the potential to hurt me. I would always smile and nod my head.

Sometimes I forgot that Sonic was in a relationship though. While he didn't make any moves on me or anything, he never spoke of Sally causing me to forget about her. The only time I was reminded of her was in school when I would hear her voice in my head calling me names. I tried hard to ignore her mental insults. Sonic and I weren't doing anything bad. We were just friends – literally. He never tried to kiss me or touch me inappropriately or any of that. We would just…talk really. We were happy with that.

One sunny afternoon, in early January, Sonic drove us to an old, deserted baseball field. The property was huge with the designated sand triangle along with a huge field of grass following up behind it. The breeze blew softly as I got off of Sonic's bike and walked slowly towards the field. There were bleachers next to the field that I went to ascend. Javier followed me as I walked all the way up to the top. "What's this place," I asked him as I sat down on the top bleacher. He sat down beside me, his lime eyes staring at me with a soft gleam.

"A baseball field," he said simply. "What else does it look like?" I rolled my eyes at him causing him to chuckle. He turned his gaze to the open field. "I don't really remember the name. I just remember my dad and I coming up here all the time. I used to play little league baseball and a lot of our games would be up here. But even in the off season, my dad and I liked to come out here. He taught me how to play football on this very field."

"The field is really pretty."

"Yea. I like coming up here; it's quiet…peaceful. I like coming out here to think and reminisce about old times. Before my mom's death, our family used to have some good times up here. We'd picnic up on the hills on the other edge of the field, my dad would teach me how to play sports, I'd have my games down here, and my mom liked to take me up here and walk around with me. We used to just walk around the whole perimeter of the field, just talking and laughing." His lips tugged into a subtly nostalgic smile.

"Were you…were you close to your mother," I asked softly. Sonic slowly shrugged a shoulder.

"I guess you could say we were close. I was only eight when she died so I don't really remember a whole lot. I do remember that she was a good mom. She always tucked me in and kissed me goodnight. She taught me how to pray. She always made the best Mexican food on the face of the planet." He chuckled. "She was always there for me… She was a really pretty woman too. She had this long, wavy blue hair and pretty green eyes. She was a lot shorter than my dad – maybe around your height. She had this really soft, soothing voice that used to put me to sleep when she sang lullaby's." He smiled. "She would've liked you." I blushed softly. "I look just like her," he whispered as his smile began to fall. "That's why I don't really spend time with my dad anymore. Once he got over her death, he started traveling more with his job – trying to avoid the reminder of his late wife that was his son. He doesn't travel as much anymore but he still doesn't really spend time with me. It kind of sucks."

"Well if he doesn't want to know his son then that's his loss…he's missing out on a great young man." Sonic's lips tugged at the end, a smile threatening to come upon them. My eyes went to his full lips, my thoughts running to what it would feel like if I were to run my finger across them…or if my lips were pressed onto them. I mentally sighed as my romantic thoughts began to take over my mind. This was kind of the downfall of spending so much time with Sonic. I was beginning to grow attached to him and my emotions started to latch on to more romantic aspects. My heart longed to be more than just friends with him. But I had to take things slow. He was already broken enough.

"You alright," I heard Sonic say. I blinked out of my gaze on his lips and looked back up into his lime eyes. His eyebrows were crinkled together in a concerned expression.

"I'm fine…I was just thinking."

"About what?" I opened my mouth to speak but quickly closed it again. I didn't want to open my big mouth again and potentially ruin our friendship. We had grown so close. I didn't think I could bear to screw this up. Not when my heart was starting to get involved into the equation. However, I didn't think I could keep my questions inside any longer. I was curious to know more about he and Sally's relationship…if he really was okay with their "understanding".

"Is it alright if I ask you about Sally," I asked slowly. One of the walls in Sonic's eyes rose up the slightest bit as they hardened. I quickly countered my statement before he could attempt to shut me out. "It's alright if that's off limits. We can talk about something else."

"No, it's alright. You can ask your questions." I stared at him for a moment. I searched his eyes for any sign of growth from his mental wall. He may have given me permission but I didn't want to push it with him. I'd learned over the past few weeks that it was better to let him share the information than to just straight up ask for it. I hesitated before opening my mouth to speak.

"Are you happy…with Sally," I asked softly. His eyebrow raised the slightest bit in surprise before he shrugged one of his shoulders lazily. He turned his eyes away from me.

"Honestly, I haven't really known what happiness is – not since my mom did. But I do know that it shouldn't feel like this. I always feel so empty around her…like an object that she's just carrying around. In the beginning of freshman year when we first started fooling around, sure I was happy but that was only because of the benefits I was getting. Now, I see that I'm nothing to her but a trophy; she's nothing to me but a toy to play with when I'm bored. It doesn't feel good…being an empty relationship like this." I lay my hand on top of his and gave it a soft squeeze.

"You deserve better," I murmured. "You should be with someone who makes you happy." Sonic turned his light green orbs back to me, a sudden softness in them. He stared at me for a moment, his gaze boring into mine. His mouth was twisted into an unreadable gesture, his eyebrows crinkling together in thought. I blushed softly under his gaze. A faint thought of his echoed through my head but it was too low for me to fully comprehend it. However, the tone of it made my cheeks turn a darker shade of red.

"Maybe," he whispered. He stood up from his seat. "Come on, kitten. Let's get you home." He held out his hand to me. I was tempted to raise an eyebrow at the gesture but I put my hand in his. He lightly pulled me up. His eyes stared down at me, the same unreadable expression on his face. He hesitated but he slowly raised his hand to caress my cheek softly. I blushed deeply as his soft touch left tingles behind. He looked as if he were about to say something more but he turned away from me. "Come on," he barked, his voice taking a hard turn. He began to descend the bleachers, leaving me stunned behind him. I had thought that we had gotten past his confusing behaviors. He didn't turn around as he continued to walk to make sure I was following. So, I just followed his lead and didn't say a word.

The ride home wasn't as tense as I'd thought it would be. Sonic didn't seem to be mad or anything and his body wasn't tense under my arms. Instead his body was relaxed and there was a small, content smile on his face. The thoughts that I could capture out of him were happy ones – mostly about his memories he'd had at the ballpark. He was also happy that he'd shown it to me. Something told him that he'd have to bring me back there sometime. His thoughts then plunged deeper into thoughts of me but that's when they started to fade away. I frowned as his mental voice faded away from my mind. How did he block thoughts away from me?

"Thanks for showing me the baseball field. It was beautiful," I told him after I'd taken off his helmet. He took off his own as well. He ran a hand through his messy curls as a boyish smile came upon his face. My heart fluttered as the cutest expression he'd ever made appeared on his face. His dimple appeared as were his eyes bright with mischief. He looked his age in that moment – happy, free, and filled with tricks. I couldn't help but stare at him in awe. He was such a beautiful human.

"Maybe one day we can go up there and I can destroy you in a race or in a game of baseball or football or something. Do you know how to play those sports?"

"I can learn." Sonic's smile grew causing the butterflies in my stomach to flutter around more rapidly.

"Cool," he said simply. His lime eyes analyzed me for a moment, examining my face before moving down to my curvy body. His eyes usually never went below my face so I will admit that my cheeks burned a bit as his eyes scanned over me. His eyes didn't linger long down there before they returned up to my face. His smile dimmed the slightest bit as he nodded at me. "I'll see you on Monday, Amy," he told me before putting his helmet on.

"Okay. I'll see you later." He revved the engine before backing up out of the driveway and into the street. I watched him drive away until his figure disappeared down the hill. I let a small smile come across my lips as I turned around to go back into the house. I liked it when Sonic was friendly and youthful with me. I couldn't wait for him to actually teach me how to play the sports he'd mentioned. Hopefully he'd just go easy on me. And that I'd go easy on him. I don't think he wanted a repeat of the sleepover where I annihilated him in Mortal Kombat.

My family were all sitting on the couch when I got home, waiting expectantly. I thought I was in trouble from the looks of my parents' stern faces but then Adrian let a mischievous smirk come across his face. Then I knew that I was in the clear. "Still making lovey dovey eyes, I see," Adrian teased. I shook my head at him although a smile began to tug at my lips.

"We're just friends," I told him.

"Just friends my ass," he said as he stood up.

"Amy, are you sure there isn't anything you'd like to talk to us about when it comes to that boy," my mother asked softly. Her mouth was pulled into a small, concerned frown. Her thoughts rang faintly in my mind. She was worried about Sonic hurting me – the worry that all mothers had about their daughters when boys were involved. I was grateful for her concern but I doubted Sonic had any intentions to hurt me. He was being sweet and kind and…unguarded. I'd obviously broken down his walls and gotten through to the person he was inside. I liked that person and I think that the person liked me back – in a friendly way.

"Yes, mom. Nothing's going on. We're just friends, I promise. If it ever turns into something more than just friends then I will let you know. But that probably won't happen for a while. He's a…work in progress." My mother nodded.

"Just be careful."

"I will." Before my mother could answer, Adrian gently grabbed my arm and towed me up the steps. I stared at him in confusion as he did so. "You alright," I asked him as we walked into my room. He turned to me and crossed his arms across his chest.

"What's really going on between you and that…mortal? Don't tell me nothing because it's obvious that _something _is going on. You're always hanging out with him."

"Yea because we're friends." Adrian rolled his eyes.

"Ames, I'm not stupid. I can sense whatever attraction you feel towards him. It's not something you can hide."

"How come everyone can sense that," I groaned as I threw my head back.

"Because it's not a normal attraction – which you already know. It's something different...something stronger…"

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?" Adrian shrugged.

"I haven't figured that out yet." He paused for a moment, his mouth opening and closing as he thought about his next words. "You…you really like him…don't you?" I sighed as I took a seat on my bed.

"Yes," I murmured. Adrian took a seat next to me. "I care about him…a lot. Lately, I've been wondering what it'd be like if we were more than friends…if we were actually together, ya know. But then I have to bring myself back to reality; he has a girlfriend and he's fragile. I don't want to hurt him.

"You're falling in love with him," Adrian said lowly. I opened my mouth to deny the statement but my brain scolded me not to. I had to face the facts: I was falling for Sonic but I was just trying so hard not to see it. I kept comparing the sensations of falling in love to those in my books. The undeniable need to be with him, to touch him, to hold him, to kiss him, to love him…While I did feel all of that, it was more on a real basis. My mind wasn't filled with cheesy thoughts. Instead they were clear cut and sweet. I cared about him and I wanted to be close to him – both emotionally and physically. I wanted him to have mutual feelings for me; I wanted him to express those emotions. I wanted him to hold me and kiss me and never let me go. I wanted him to love me.

Maybe that was the sensations of falling in love: the longing to be so close to someone that the two of you emotionally become one.

But Sonic couldn't have possibly felt the same way. He did have a girlfriend – whether he was happy with her or not, he was still with her. He had stayed with her for the past…two years I believed. I would think that he did care about her enough to stay with her. Or that he had other reasons to keep dating her.

"Just be careful," Adrian told me. "Your heart is just as fragile as his." He kissed my temple before getting up and leaving the room. I stared after him, my mind still spinning with thoughts of Sonic and love.

On Monday, the school was buzzing with gossip. As soon as Blaze drove onto the campus, my acute hears were hit with soft whispers all around. I looked all around to see tons of groups of friend huddled together, talking quietly. Usually all the students were like this anyway but the atmosphere felt different. Instead of the open, friendly chatter, there was a sneaky, quiet feel about the talking. The tension made me curious about what everyone was talking about.

As Blaze and I walked through the building, I tuned into multiple of the mortals' conversations in an attempt to figure out what was going on. The first conversation I tuned into was one of our fellow junior classmates. Instantly, I heard one the girls whisper "I heard Sally is furious." I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion as I tuned into another conversation. "I heard the he was cheating," a blonde haired girl said to her friend. My mind immediately went to Sonic. What was going on? Why was Sally angry? I looked around the hallways, my acute hears listening for the actual news that I was looking for. "I can't believe Sally and Sonic broke up," I heard one of Sally's friends say.

What?

"Do you know anything about that," Blaze asked from beside me. She had caught on to my little search for the truth. From the look on my face, she must've figured that I'd found out what was really going on. "You guys are friends," Blaze said, almost a bit bitterly. I pressed my lips together as I shook my head. I had told Sonic that he deserved to be with someone who made him happy. I didn't think that he was actually going to break up with Sally. God, this boy…

"Did you hear the news," Cream chirped happily as I approached my locker.

"Yea," I said lowly.

"It was about time Sonic dumped that bitch. He deserves better." I nodded in agreement and forced a smile. He did deserve better. I just hoped that Sally wouldn't flip out on him. I wasn't sure how exactly he broke up with her but I was sure I would find out eventually. I hoped that he also broke up with her for the right reasons. Sure, he wasn't happy but was he making the right choice? My heart fluttered as an image of me kissing Sonic flashed before my eyes. I shook the image away. He did not break up with her for me. We were just friends. He never implied that he liked me. He was just…opening up to me. That's all…right?

After third period, I snuck away from my friends to head down to Sonic's locker. A part of me felt the need to check on him and make sure he was alright. Sure, he was probably perfectly fine but I just wanted to make sure. He was alone at his locker when I got there, exchanging his books. "Hey Sonic," I told him as I walked up to him. He looked to me and his lime eyes immediately lit up. My stomach fluttered as a soft smile came upon his face.

"Hey Amy," he replied.

"How are you? Are you okay? What's going on?" His soft smile fell as he sighed.

"I'm guessing you heard the news." I nodded.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." His lips tugged back up into a small smile.

"I'm fine, Ames." My heart skipped a beat at the sound of my nickname on his tongue. "You told me that I deserve to be with someone who makes me happy. So, I'm determined to find that someone…although I already have an idea." His eyes flashed with infatuation as he said this, his eyes scanning over my face. I blushed deeply. Oh…maybe he did like me… His smile grew the slightest bit as he nudged me with his elbow. "Come on, kitten." We walked down to the cafeteria together, the attraction I felt towards him flickering. His scent was wrapping itself willingly around me but instead of trying to pull me closer, it was keeping me at a close proximity to Sonic – almost like a cage to my side so that I couldn't even try to scoot over.

As soon as Sonic and I entered the cafeteria, all eyes went to us. Thankfully, the cafeteria didn't go silent. Instead, it filled with hushed whispers as we walked to our regular table. I averted my eyes from everyone's gaze as I moved a bit closer to Sonic. I didn't really like the attention we were getting. I could feel the negative vibe attached to it. All of our friends eyed us suspiciously as we sat down at the table. Cream had her eyebrow raised while Blaze was pursing her lips in a sour manner. I knew they both wanted to comment but neither of them had the time before Sally approached us. I didn't hear her at first but I did hear Cream mutter "Devil's mistress at six o' clock" under her breath. That's when I saw a waterfall of water fall on top of Sonic's curly head.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE," Sally yelled as she did so. Sonic tightened his jaw, his eyes flashing with anger. He looked up at his beautiful ex to see that she was fuming above him. "HOW DARE YOU BREAK UP WITH ME OVER A FUCKING TEXT MESSAGE? WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR TWO FUCKING YEARS AND THIS IS HOW YOU END THINGS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I GAVE YOU ALL OF ME AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME? AS IF I'M ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO YOU? YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING IF YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST FLOUNCE OFF AS IF YOU'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!"

"Sally, you're overreacting," Sonic said simply. All eyes were on our table now, the cafeteria completely silent. Sonic's face was hard once more, his eyes void of emotion. The look scared me. After seeing most of his emotions, it was sad to see him hiding back behind his walls.

"OVERREACTING? YOU THINK I'M OVERREACTING? YOU FUCKING BROKE UP WITH ME FOR THIS STUPID WHORE," Sally motioned to me. "AS IF I WOULDN'T FIND OUT THAT THE TWO OF YOU WERE SLEEPING TOGETHER!" Whoa, what?

"We've never slept together," I told Sally. Immediately, she turned her livid eyes from Sonic to me. "We're just friends," I said sternly.

"Just friends," Sally said, her voice cold. "You mean friends with benefits? Come on, Amy, the whole school knows that the two of you aren't just friends. We all know about your after school make out sessions and your sexual acts during the parties when the both of you disappear together. We all know that you're not the innocent, sweet girl that you try so hard to be. We all know that the only reason you moved down here is because you were whoring around and reality bit you in the ass. How are you dealing with those STD's? Did you pass them on to Sonic yet?" My eyes widened as tears pricked behind them.

"That's a lie," I yelled as I stood up. "I'm not a whore! I don't have STD's." Sally made air quotes with her fingers.

"Whatever you say. Just make sure that when you get pregnant, your baby doesn't get HIV." She waved her hand at me. "Now get out of my face, you ugly, fat, disgraceful loser. Go back to Washington where you belong. You don't belong here." She then flicked the little bit of water left in her bottle into my face. Almost the whole cafeteria burst out into laughter. Most of them began yelling at me, calling me a whore and a slut. Their cruel words filled my acute ears as an image of a younger me sat in this very same position: in an argument with the most popular girl in school who was making false accusations about me and got the whole school to turn against me. Tears pricked behind my eyes at the memory as the familiar sadness filled up inside my chest. Without thinking, I turned away from Sally and ran out of the cafeteria with the students yelling after me. I heard Sonic call my name but then I heard Blaze tell him that she would take care of me. I didn't wait for her footsteps as I came into the hallway. I bolted for the closest bathroom as my tears fell. There were some freshman in the bathroom who gawked as I began to sob over the sink. I ignored their confused stares as I leaned my face into my hands and let my tears fall.

"Get out," I heard Blaze order the freshman as she bust into the bathroom. I heard them immediately scurry out the bathroom. Then I felt Blaze's slim arms wrap around me. "Oh Amy," she whispered. She began to stroke my hair. "Don't cry. She's not worth it." I shook my head.

"It's not just about her," I choked out. "I had…I had another memory of a similar situation…the same accusations…" Blaze's arms tightened around me.

"Seventh grade; Ashley Dickerson was just pissed off that you made it on the cheerleading team and she didn't. Plus, her boyfriend had the biggest crush on you. She was just a jealous bitch. What you probably didn't see was that you punched her square in the face, beat her ass, and then ran out crying. No one ever disrespected you after that." She kissed my head. "Come on, girly. Let's get you home."

I let Blaze make me up to be sick so that she could take me home. I lay in my bed with her by my side for the rest of the afternoon, watching chick flicks in an attempt to help me feel better. After a while, I did feel better. The only reason I think Sally's words had really affected me was because my implicit mind had been in a similar situation. Both the emotions rammed together caused me to cry. That's all. I didn't really care about what Sally or anyone else thought of me. My true friends knew that it wasn't true. I just hoped Sonic knew it as well.

Around five o' clock, I was bidding a goodbye to Blaze when a knock on the front door sounded. We both gave each other a confused look before we walked over to the door. I opened it to see Sonic standing there, armed with a bouquet of flowers ad a gallon of my favorite frozen yogurt. I stared at him with wide eyes although my metaphorical heart was ready to beat out of my chest at the sight. Blaze raised an eyebrow at Sonic. "I will see you later, Ames," she told me with looking at me. She eyed Sonic as she squeezed past him. Sonic waited for her to pass completely before he began to speak.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't know that she would overreact like that. I knew that she might've come after me but I didn't think she'd pull you into the situation. You didn't do anything wrong and I'm sure she knows that. She just needed someone to blame. I'm sorry that she pinned that blame on you. I never meant for you to be pulled into this. If I'd known then maybe I would've let you walk in by yourself…lessen her suspicion. I'm really sorry, I am. You didn't deserve to be accused of all that stuff. You were just being a good friend to me and…I'm just really sorry," he told me.

"It's alright. It's not your fault that your ex-girlfriend is crazy," I told him. Sonic's lips tugged up into the tiniest smile for a moment before he held up the gifts in his hands.

"These are for you," he said. He handed me the flowers first before giving me the gallon of frozen yogurt.

"Thank you." He nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He hesitated for a moment in the doorway, his lime eyes scrutinizing me. I could tell that he was waiting for me to say something but I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say. "Would…would you like to come in," I asked. "I can't eat this whole gallon of ice cream by myself." Sonic smiled.

"You probably can't. Your body is too little for that." I rolled my eyes at him as I stepped aside to let him in. I dropped him off in the living room before heading into the kitchen. I put the flowers he'd brought me into a vase before scooping the frozen yogurt into cups. When I came back into the living room, Sonic was running his hands over his jeans nervously.

"You okay," I asked him. He looked to me and nodded. I handed him his cup and sat down next to him. I turned on some stupid reality show that we made fun of for the next hour or so. Throughout the show, I noticed Sonic inching closer and closer to me until our arms were pressed up against each other. I blushed as his scent swarmed around me. I was tempted to lay my head on his shoulder but I was too afraid to act on it. I would think that he needed some time before I could start acting on the romantic impulses I'd felt.

"You sure you're alright," Sonic asked as I was leading him to the door. It was about six thirty and Sonic had told me that he should be getting home.

"I'm fine," I told him. "Thank you for checking up on me."

"You're welcome." Sonic paused, his lime eyes averting themselves from my gaze. "So, um, I was wondering if…if you'd like to go out on Friday night…if you're not busy." He kicked an imaginary rock as he glanced up at me.

"Sure," I told him with a soft smile. "What would you like to do?"

"Well, um…" His cheeks began to turn a dark shade of red as he paused. My heart fluttered as I saw how nervous he was getting. He was so cute when he was being boyish. "I was thinking that it could be kind of like…like a date." I raised both my eyebrows in surprise as my butterflies began to spiral out of control. Sonic raised his eyes to meet mine, waiting anxiously for a second confirmation. I smiled shyly and nodded.

"I think I'd like that," I told him. He let out his nervous breath, his shoulder slouching back down in a relaxed state. He smiled so widely that his pearly white teeth made an appearance.

"Okay cool. Cool. Um, so I will see you tomorrow." I nodded.

"See you tomorrow." Sonic hesitated but reached up to caress my cheek – just like he did at the baseball field. My skin tingled beneath his touch as I actually leaned more into his touch. His eyes softened he took his hand away. I moved out of his way for him to head out of the door. As soon as he closed it behind him, I leaned back against it and let a huge smile come across my lips.

The rest of the week took forever to pass by. Most of the students gave me the cold shoulder but I didn't pay any mind to it. They weren't exactly friendly to me before the whole cafeteria scene anyway. Cream and Blaze stood by side whenever someone would try to tease me or something. Usually, Blaze would snap out on them and they'd immediately go back to minding their own business. I loved her for sticking by side throughout everything. She really was the greatest best friend I could ask for. Cream was also making her way up to becoming my best friend. She would always defend me when someone tried to argue with me or accuse me of stealing Sonic away from Sally. She made sure that no one could encourage the lies that Sally was spreading around about me. Sonic and his friends also did their part in protecting me. His friends usually got the guys to back off when they cat called after me or called me names. They usually just scared them by giving them evil glares. Sonic, however, punched a couple guys in the jaw for saying the wrong thing to me while we were walking through the halls. I tried to get him to stop doing that but he would always ignore me once he got back to my side. Instead, he took interest in my well-being and making sure I was alright. He was so sweet…even though he showed it in a violent matter.

When Friday finally arrived, Sonic acted cool. He seemed nonchalance around me although I could tell from his body language that he was nervous for our date that night. I hadn't told my friends about our upcoming date so I had to act like nothing was wrong even though I was a bit nervous myself. When I got home that afternoon, I dug through my closet in search for a perfect dress and searched online for a perfect hairstyle to copy. I came up empty handed for both aspects and almost called Javier to cancel when my mother came into my room. She had a dress bag in her hand and a shy smile on her face. "I may or may not have been eavesdropping on Monday night," she admitted. I smiled at her.

"You picked a perfect time to eavesdrop," I told her. My mother smiled proudly at that statement. She helped me into the beautiful white dress that she'd brought me. The dress was fitted up at the top with a criss cross fabric design on my chest that made a low v neck with long sleeves hugging my slender arms. There was a shiny gold belt at my waist before the skirt tightened around my legs and thighs. I looked slim but curvy in the dress and the skirt accented my legs to make them look longer. My mother curled my hair into soft, bouncy curls. She also gave my face a soft, natural look with my makeup kits. To top off the look, she put some gold hoops in my ear and lent me a pair of her gold heels. Once she was finished with me, I looked gorgeous.

"Remember to be careful," she told me as she fluffed my hair.

"I will," I promised her. A soft knock sounded on the front door from the lower level of the house. My stomach immediately filled with butterflies as I heard my father answer the door. My mother helped me up before I darted down the stairs to meet Sonic. He was dressed in a fitted, button up black shirt with a pair of clean black jeans and sneakers. His curls were actually brushed and maintained, completing his classy look. He was shaking hands with my father. Both their eyes went to me as my heels clacked against the steps. Immediately, an expression of awe arose on Sonic's face. I blushed deeply under his gaze as I continued down the steps.

"Don't give the guy a heart attack before the date even starts," I heard Adrian say. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his emeralds scrutinizing me with weariness. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever," I told him. I turned my gaze back to Sonic who was staring at me with wide, amazed eyes. "You ready to go," I asked him.

"Yea, yea," he said, snapping out of his daze. He opened the front door for me. "I'll have her home by ten, Mr. Rose," he told my father. Richard nodded in response, a respectful smile on his face. I walked out the door and looked to the driveway. I halfway expected to see Sonic's motorcycle so I was surprised to see a sleek, black Camaro sitting in the driveway instead.

"Nice car," I told him as he led me to the passenger seat. He opened the door for me.

"Thanks," he said simply before shutting the door. He jogged over the driver's side as the new smell of leather and him filled my nose. I also noticed the lone rose sitting on the dashboard. I gently picked it up and smelled it. "That's for you," Sonic said as he slid into his seat.

"Thank you," I told him with a soft smile. He shot me a smile back.

"You're welcome." He put the car in reverse and backed up out of my driveway. Then, we were out on the road and on our way. I relaxed as he drove through the suburbs towards the more urban part of town.

"Where are we going," I asked him. He glanced at me.

"You'll see, kitten." I reluctantly took that as an answer and averted my gaze back out the window. The city of Orlando passed us by as he continued to drive until we reached a more serene, beach-like part of Florida. Sonic eventually pulled up to a fancy restaurant that lay right near a sensually lit bridge that lay above the beach. He opened my door for me and offered his arm to me. I smiled and took it.

"Someone's being a gentleman," I teased him. He smiled.

"Gentlemen are the ones who impress the girls, are they not," he replied. I blushed deeply. He led me into the dimly lit restaurant where other couples sat, laughing and eating while the sweet smell of Italian cuisine wafted through the atmosphere. Sonic spoke quietly with the host, implying that he had made a reservation. His words made me blush. He had really made an effort to impress me for our first date, how sweet.

The host led us to a small table in the corner near a window where we could see the dark waves of the ocean. I still had the rose in my hand as Sonic pulled the chair out for me to sit. I twirled it in my hand as I stared at him. There were candles lit on our table, their glow accenting his emphasized jawline and the mysterious shape of his eyes. Their orangey glow also reflected on his lime eyes, creating a brighter shade of the color. I once again couldn't help but to take in how beautiful he was. His mother must've been drop dead gorgeous for him to look the way he did. My eyes dropped down to his full, pink lips.

"Hello, my name is Jenny, I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you out with some drinks," a young woman's voice said, snapping me out of my gaze. I looked up at the pretty brunette to see that she was smiling down at Sonic and I. Sonic turned his lime eyes to me, waiting patiently for me to go first.

"Um, I'll just have a Shirley Temple, please," I told the waitress. Sonic looked up at her.

"Two Shirley Temples," he said with a nod. She wrote them down and nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right back with that." Sonic turned his eyes back to me as she walked away from us.

"You okay, kitten," he asked me. I was still twirling the rose between my fingers and staring at his beautiful face. I nodded.

"This is all just really nice." Sonic smiled. "Thank you for taking me out."

"I didn't think I could stall any longer, honestly." I blushed deeper. I looked away to get a better glimpse at our environment. The dim lights, the small, intimate tables, the sweet smell of food… My eyebrows crinkled together as an image flashed before my eyes. In the image were Scourge and I, sitting at this exact table. We were laughing, Scourge's ice blue eyes staring at me in adoration. I bit my lip as my implicit mind expressed a soft sigh of nostalgia. I shook the image away. I was here with Sonic, the boy I'd been thinking about since the moment I saw him. He was the one I was falling in love with. He was the one I wanted to be with. Scourge wasn't himself anymore…I had to move on…

Dinner was unnaturally nice. Sonic had me try some type of shrimp pasta that was absolutely delicious. He kept up the small talk throughout dinner, making me laugh and keeping a smile on my face. For desert, he ordered a chocolate lava caked in which he scooted over to my side of the table to share with me. I was worried about getting chocolate all over my dress as I eyed the gooey fudge coming out the cake. Sonic could tell by the awkward way I was eating it. So, he got a couple napkins and set them down in my lap. Then he scooped up some of the fudge on the plate with his finger and smeared it on my cheek. I scolded him for it before doing the same thing to him. He chuckled at me before leaning in to kiss the chocolate off of my cheek. I blushed deeply as he did so, my stomach twisting in all different kinds of ways as his soft lips made contact with my cheek.

After dinner, Sonic led me to the dim lit bridge that was actually a long pathway. It was empty when we stepped on it, leaving us alone in the romantic setting. Sonic held my hand as we walked. "So, how am I doing? Any less confusing?" He asked.

"Well, that depends," I replied. "Do you want me to like you?" Sonic chuckled before letting his mouth fall down into a line. He stopped walking near the middle of the bridge and leaned against one of the sides. He pulled me close to him, his lime eyes burning into my emerald ones. His eyebrows crinkled together the slightest bit as he looked down at me.

"Amy, I've wanted you to like me since the first time I saw you when you walked into Mr. Shepard's classroom. You were just so beautiful and innocent. I immediately felt this…this need to know you…to hold you…to kiss you. But I didn't want to act on it. I was afraid that you either wouldn't feel the same way or that you'd turn out to be just like Sally. I didn't know whether I wanted to get to know you or if I wanted to just leave you alone. But then you started talking to me and my instincts to push away kicked in. I…I thought it would be better for the both of us if we just didn't interact. But you didn't give up. You kept talking and you kept trying to get to know me. It was hard: keeping up the charade. Eventually, I started to let it down, little by little. That's when I realized how much I cared about you. How much I wanted to be close to you. When I saw you with those guys, you looked so afraid. I knew that I had to help you… I felt the same sensation again when you ran into me at the homecoming party and you were drugged up. Even the other day when I saw how upset you were after Sally… I want to protect you, Amy. I want to cherish you and hold you and…love you." He put his hand on my cheek, caressing it softly. "Recently, the only thing I've felt is this growing need to be by your side…all the time. I always want to be with you and…and I don't know why. I just…I just do. I've never felt this way about anyone before and I don't…I don't know what to do about this feeling in my chest – the one that's telling me that it's okay to fall in love with you." I blushed.

"I wish I could tell you what to do but honestly I don't even know what to do with the same feeling that's in my chest when it comes to you. But I do know that I can trust it…that I can act on it. Whatever you may do with yours, make sure it's the right decision and make sure you do it while you can. I like you, Sonic, and I'm going to take whatever chances I have to be with you. If I've learned anything from my accident…it's that you have to make use of all the opportunities that's given to you because one day it could all just disappear and what you did will only be a memory…I'd like to make every memory I have with you a good one." Sonic pulled me closer, his arm wrapping tightly around my waist. I looped my arms up around his neck, my eyes locked with his.

"Then I guess I picked the perfect scene for our first kiss…a perfect scene for a perfect event…for a perfect memory." He pulled me even closer so that our bodies were pressed up against each other. My metaphorical heart beat rapidly against my rip cage as the butterflies in my stomach multiplied in number. Sonic's hand, the one that lay on my cheek, tilted my head back the slightest bit as he dipped his head down.

His lips didn't waste time in brushing against mine like some characters in my books liked to do. Instead, he took the full opportunity of pressing his lips right onto mine. His lips were soft, sweet, and absolutely delicious. The touch of them on my own made my head dizzy. Slowly, his lips began to move against mine, sending my mind into circles. His lips moved in a perfect sync with mine, molding each other in a peaceful rhythm. He tasted like sweet peach candy with a dash of chocolate from our dessert. The taste was addictive to me, even more so when his tongue flicked at my lips and slowly eased my mouth open. My arms tightened around his neck as his tongue began to battle lightly with mine. I sighed softly into his mouth, causing his grip on my waist to tighten, pulling me even closer against his body.

We stayed like this for a long while, passionately kissing. His scent wrapped around the both of us, keeping us in our interlocked position. His faint thoughts bombarded my mind but I couldn't concentrate on them enough to figure out what they were saying. My mind was too focused on the feel of his lips and body on mine. His torso was so firm, I noticed as I kissed him. I could almost feel his defined chest and six pack under his shirt from how close I was pressed up against him. My fingers lightly skimmed his neck – which was a bad move. My fangs began to sharpen as I did so, a faint thought of sinking them into his neck slipping through my mind. Reluctantly, I pulled out of the kiss before the thought could make itself more known. I couldn't hurt him. I didn't want to hurt him.

"Who are you," Sonic whispered so low that if my ears weren't so acute then I probably wouldn't have heard him. I offered him a soft smile before pecking a soft kiss at his lips.

The ride home was peaceful. He drove with one hand, his other intertwined with mine. I kept the rose he'd given me in my hand, twirling it contently as we rode back into our suburban section of town. I was reluctant to leave as he pulled up beside the curb in front of my house. I had so much fun with him. I didn't want him to go. I wanted to stay with him for just a little while longer.

He walked me to my front door, our hands intertwined. He smiled down at me once we reached the door. "I had fun," I told him. "Thank you again for taking me out. That was very sweet of you."

"Of course, kitten." He leaned down to give me a sweet kiss. "Would you like to do this again sometime?" I nodded.

"I'd love to." He smiled wider before giving me another kiss. "Goodnight Sonic," I told him when he pulled away.

"Goodnight Amy." He kissed my cheek before slowly letting go of my hands. I watched him walk back to his car before heading into my own house. I retreated up the steps to my room where I collapsed onto my bed. A wide smile came upon my face as I replayed the perfect night over and over again in my head.

**Well someone was bringing old fashioned romance back...**

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	13. Just You & Me

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 12: Just You &amp; Me **

I awoke the next morning with the same blissful high that I'd fallen asleep with. My butterflies were still active in my stomach and my lips couldn't force down the smile that had permanently molded itself on them. My mind was still filled with the image of Sonic's beautiful face and the sensation of his lips moving against his. I curled deeper into my blankets as my smile grew. I imagined him lying beside me, his muscular arms wrapped tightly around my waist and his light breaths hitting the back of my neck. I wished he were still there with me.

My phone let out a small noise as it vibrated, signaling that I had gotten a text. I didn't feel like moving so I merely stretched my arm out to grab my phone. A smile came across my face as I saw Sonic's "Big Bad Wolf" name flash on my screen. I opened the text to see he had written a simple "Rise and shine beautiful" with a smiley face next to it. For a text so simple, it sent tons of butterflies to my stomach. I grinned as I texted him back. I wrote a mere "Good morning to you too handsome" before dropping the phone down on my bed. I curled back up into a ball as my body's weariness caused me to yawn. For some reason, I was awfully tired. That was strange since Sonic had gotten me home before eleven the night before. But then again, I had spent most of the night fantasizing about our next date and Sonic in general. I wasn't exactly sure what time I went to bed last night. I didn't even remember falling asleep. The last thing I remember from the night before was a daydream of Sonic lying next to me, holding me tightly and kissing me passionately…

God, I was so hopeless. Sonic had only taken me on one date and I'm already making up scenarios of our relationship going further. I needed to slow myself down. Sonic wasn't the only one who had some type of emotional damage. While I may not feel it all the time, a part of me did feel a deep sadness for the life that I had lost. My implicit mind reminisced the old memories and quietly pondered over the ones that could've been made. A part of my heart still belonged to Scourge. While my new mind didn't know him, my old one did and it sure was keeping a strong hold on whatever feelings I had for him. Despite the fear and hatred that my implicit brain gained after his actions of changing me, there was still a part of my thoughts that reasoned that I still loved him and that he was doing it to make me happy. That should mean something right?

I didn't get to answer my mental question before a soft knock rang on my door. "Come in," I called. The door obediently creaked open and my mother popped her head in. She smiled warmly at me as she walked into the room. "Good morning," I told her.

"Good morning sweetie," she said as she walked up to my bed. She sat down beside me before pecking a soft kiss on my head. "How did things go last night?" I shifted my body in the bed so that I could look up at her. Her wide hazel eyes were filled with curiosity. I began to blush as thoughts of the night before rushed to my head.

"It was…perfect," I sighed out.

"Details; I need details. Did he take you out to dinner or movie or did you guys just hang out somewhere nice? Was he a gentleman? Did he make you feel comfortable? Did you kiss you? Answer me those questions."

"He took me out to this really fancy restaurant – I don't exactly remember the name. I just remember that it was so romantic. There was dim lighting and soft music and intimate table settings and it was just completely beautiful. There was this wooden bridge thing that was decorated with these pretty sparkly lights that we walked on after dinner and we talked a little bit. Yes, he was the perfect gentleman – which is surprising considering how rude he was to me a couple months ago. And yes…he did kiss me." I blushed deeply as I said the last statement. My lips tingled at the memory of how good his lips felt against mine. My mother smiled at me, her eyes expressing a mix of concern and happiness for me.

"I'm glad that you had fun, sweetie."

"I can feel a "but…" coming on," I told her as I sat up. My mother sighed.

"I just want you to be careful, Amy. Your vampire senses don't seem to be as strong as most of vampires which may or may not mean that you are more vulnerable to mortals' harm…especially when it comes to boys." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"So, you think that Sonic would sexually assault me?"

"No, no, I'm not saying that he would. But I'm also not saying that he couldn't take advantage of you. You're young and naïve, Amy, and you know that. I know that you can't help but to follow your heart but I am asking you to make sure it leads you in the right places. Can you do that for me?" I nodded. My mother smiled, her shoulders slumping down from her subtle breath of relief. "I just want you to remember that danger doesn't always have to be physical – it can be emotional and psychological too. Something of which I think you can see from your own experience." I blushed softly as the image of the smiling blue eyed boy flashed before my eyes. My mother leaned forward to kiss my temple. "I love you, sweetheart and I just don't want anything to happen to you." I looked into my mother's warm hazel eyes and instantly a flash of complete darkness overwhelmed my vision for a moment. I blinked the sudden sensation off as quickly as I could – or at least I tried to. The darkness wasn't like the friendly one that visited me at times. Instead this darkness was hostile and unnaturally deadly. I had never thought that behind my mother's warm smile and bright eyes, there lied a hidden darkness.

"You've been hurt before," I murmured without thinking. My mother's soft smile immediately dimmed, her hazel eyes losing some of their enthusiastic sparkle. "I'm sorry. It's just, when you looked into my eyes I saw…"

"I won't lie to you, Amy. I've been burned many times than I'd care to admit. My mortal life wasn't exactly the best in the whole wide world." As my mother spoke, her voice lost the maternal tone that it had adopted and instead took on one of a younger woman. She shrunk a bit too, morphing from my mother figure into more of a sister figure. I could only tilt my head at her sudden transformation and wonder what exactly had happened to her in the past life.

"How…how old were you when…" I asked cautiously.

"I was just about to turn twenty six," she replied, her voice low. I scooted closer to her and put my hand over hers. My eyes asked the question of _what happened _though my mouth was too afraid to ask the words. Amber got the silent message, however and sighed softly. "My mother was a drug addict," she murmured. "She didn't know who my father was so she just claimed that her boyfriend was my father. It didn't matter much though. I looked just like her anyway. She was a beautiful woman…but she was so messed up. She only gave up drugs while I was in the womb…once she popped me out, she was right back to getting high off of whatever she could find. I wish she could say that she took just as good care of me as she did when I was in the womb but she didn't.

"She neglected me – left me alone in our dingy apartment all the time without food or anything. It wasn't until I turned about six that she found some use for me. She used to have me run out to buy drugs for her…she used to sell me to get money for the drugs…she let my "father" do some of his dirty work for him. I had an awful childhood. I barely passed high school with acceptable grades. Once I graduated, I came home in my cap and gown and my mom sent me right on the corner. She told me to pick a spot and call it my office. That's where I spent the next seven years – selling drugs and my body to satisfy my mother's drug habit and our bills. But then Richard came into the picture." A small smile arose on her face.

"I remember I was standing on the corner, waiting for one of my usual drug trades when I saw him walking down the street. It was strange…seeing him. He was wearing a nice shirt and slacks and fancy shoes. Plus he was unnaturally beautiful." Slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "He…um, he walked up to me with this stern frown on his face. At first I thought he was going to reprimand me just like some other guys tried to do. But he didn't. Instead he commanded me to tell him my name. I was reluctant since no guy usually asked what my name was – none of them cared enough to ask. I did tell him my name and he nodded and told me to come with him. I obeyed since that was the command that most men gave me. He basically kidnapped me; he just put me in his car and drove for a long, long time without telling me where we were going. I will admit that I was afraid as I watched my run down town pass me by. He didn't stop until we were in a whole different state – or two; he wanted to buy me some food and get me a change of clothes. So, he brought me a nice outfit or two to wear and he took me out to dinner at a small, casual restaurant. He didn't talk much which made me nervous. I was still waiting for him to jump on me and do what he wanted. He never did though. Even when we finally arrived at his big house that night, he never touched me.

"He gave me a big room that lay next to his and told me to go to sleep. Then I kind of asked him if he was serious." She let out a small awkward laugh. "I was so used to being mistreated that I didn't really know how to accept his kindness towards me. Sometimes, even know I have a hard time wrapping around my head why he chose me to take off that street… Anyway, Richard just looked at me as if I had three heads. He had shaken his head before he walked up to me. I expected for him to make his move right then and there but instead he…he slowly reached out with his hand and caressed my cheek with the gentlest touch I'd ever experienced. Then he left me there, standing there gawking after him like an idiot. He took good care of me after that day. The next morning, he'd let me take a shower and get better cleaned up. He introduced himself and assured me that he wasn't going to harm me. Then he…he explained to me what he was and how he felt a need to…to save me from my world. Richard is a guardian warrior, like you and your brother, but he just chooses when to act on those instincts. I looked at him like he was crazy when he tried to explain that he was a vampire. I didn't believe him; I thought he was on some serious drugs to make him think such a thing. But then he showed me his fangs and…and I wasn't afraid. I learned to look past the species that he was and see the good in him. That's how I fell in love with him. He transformed me into a vampire by my own request…he'd never have done it if I didn't want it. He's a good guy; I'm very lucky he took me under his wing or else I probably would have died a long time ago."

I smiled at Amber and gave her hand a soft squeeze. The soft, young look in her eyes faded as her maternal expression returned. "Not all humans have the strength or the will to see past what we are like I did with Richard. So, I'm asking you to be very careful with this boy. I know that you really like him but just make sure that if the time comes that you have to reveal yourself to him: he'll be able to at least live with it." She kissed my temple. "You don't deserve any more heartbreaks," she whispered. I leaned my head on her shoulder and curled my legs up to my chest. Hopefully Sonic would be able to love the girl I was inside despite the monster instincts that lay on the surface. If not then…I guess I'd have to deal with the consequences.

Sonic actually did call me both Saturday and Sunday night that weekend. Since I had been trying to finish a book during the daytime, when he called I usually just babbled on about what was going on in the book. He listened intently to me, asking questions and inserting comments when it was appropriate. Although half of his comments were sarcastic or rude to the characters, I still liked the fact that he was listening to me. I bet I sounded like a complete nerd to him but he didn't seem to mind. He actually seemed interested in my opinions of the book events – which made me like him even more.

When Monday finally arrived, I will admit that I was a bit excited to see him. I rummaged through my closet to find the perfect baby doll top and my favorite jeans early that morning. I wanted to look cute for him. So, I ended with a coral floral baby doll top and my light wash jeans that hugged my thighs. I threw on a pair of casual wedges with the outfit and straightened my hair. Adrian raised an eyebrow at me as I skipped into the kitchen but he didn't comment. Instead he just rolled his eyes – a normal younger brother gesture. I tried hard to contain my smile during the actual ride to school but sadly, I couldn't help to let a small smirk surface.

"Who kissed you," Blaze asked as we were getting out the car. I opened my mouth to ask how she knew but she quickly spoke again. "Ames, I've known you since pre-kindergarten; I know you a lot better than you think." I blushed softly.

"Well I did go on a date on Friday," I started. She nodded her head, signaling for me to continue. "With Sonic," I murmured. Blaze's small, encouraging smile that had formed on her face immediately fell and a small frown took over. "Blaze, you don't understand. He was so sweet to me. He drove me to this fancy restaurant on the beach where there was this dim light bridge. And he kissed me and it felt so right…so good. The night was so perfect and he's so perfect and… Why are you so against him?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Blaze said simply. "Your mind may still be cloudy from the high of being with him but to be logical: he is advancing pretty fast for someone who just broke up with their girlfriend. I get it, he wasn't happy but still. They were together for some time. I just don't want you to fall too hard and he does something stupid to hurt you, that's all."

"Thanks for the concern, Blaze," I told her. Although I was a bit irritated at her hostility towards Sonic, I knew that she had my best interest at heart. Everyone around me did; they all just showed it in different ways.

Cream was completely oblivious to Sonic and I's date. I managed to contain my giddy smile and offer her my usual friendly one. She seemed hyper though. She had a huge smile on her face and her chocolate eyes were glazed over with the after effects of a love spell. "Someone had a good weekend," I told her.

"Oh, Ames, this weekend was so perfect! Tails surprised me on Friday night and took me out on a date! It was literally the sweetest thing ever! He took me out to this really fancy restaurant downtown and…" Cream began to babble on about her date, leaving me smiling and nodding along with her story. I was happy that Tails finally got the guts to take her out. Now he just needed to ask her out. Since he'd taken her out, I suspected that it wouldn't be long before he actually made things official with her. Cream had explained before that they'd always liked each other but she felt strange dating him since he was Sonic's best friend. At least now they're starting to get over that bridge and follow their hearts. I didn't mention anything about Sonic and I's date. I figured that if he didn't tell her then he may not have wanted her to know. So, I kept my mouth shut.

My stomach filled with butterflies when I saw Sonic in the hallway when Cream and I were walking to second period. He was already staring at me when I looked over at him. Immediately after our eyes connected, he shot me a small, dimpled smile. I shyly smiled back and offered a small wave. Sonic's smile increased at the sight – and then he was gone. I didn't see him again until our lunch period. I was at my locker, exchanging my books when my nose caught his distinct scent. I looked up from what I was doing to see that he was walking up to me, a small frown on his face. I took in his serious expression, my stomach twisting up into worry. "Can we talk," he asked as soon as he reached me. He leaned on his shoulder against the locker next to mine.

"Hi to you too," I told him. He rolled his eyes. He looked around the semi-crowded hallway. I looked around too, confused as to what was wrong.

"Later. I'll drive you home," he said.

"Okay," I asked, my euphoric high falling down a bit. Sonic waited for me to finish at my locker before walking with me to the cafeteria. I had my arms crossed against my chest to hold my textbook but I did notice his hand reach out to try and grab mine. When he noticed my hand wasn't there, his hand looped between one of my belt loops and gently tugged me closer to him. I didn't question his actions. Instead, I stayed quiet and walked on with him while he talked about…I don't even know. Honestly, I wasn't paying attention. Instead, I was too busy trying to figure out what his problem was. Did he not like me anymore? Did I do something wrong? What did we need to talk about?

I made up several different scenarios over the course of the day, making me anxious for the time when we actually would talk. I tried to anticipate the worst but judging from Sonic's continuous smiles and waves to me in the hallway, I knew that it was nothing too serious. By the time we were in his car, riding through the Orlando streets, he was completely relaxed. He had a small smile on his face, with his dimple showing, and he was holding one of my hands in his. He seemed content; all the tension that he'd shown before was gone. The sight washed away my own fears and I also relaxed a bit.

When we finally arrived at my house, I offered Sonic something to drink so that I could sneak away to the kitchen and pour myself some blood. I put it in a coffee mug that was completely colored over so you couldn't see what was inside. I had barely touched my blood that morning since I was too busy daydreaming over Sonic so I was beginning to feel an awful burn in my throat. I took a sip of the blood as I took out a can of soda for Sonic. Immediately, the burning in my throat began to ease.

My lime eyed boy was sitting on the couch, looking around at the various paintings my mother had put up around the house. When he noticed I'd walked back into the room, he smiled at me. I returned the smile and settled down next to him. He wasn't having that though. He pulled me up into his lap and cradled me close to his chest. My head rested in the corner of his neck between his shoulder, his distinct scent filling my nose. I sipped softly on the blood in the cup, trying to ignore the urges to taste his.

"So, what did you want to talk about," I asked after a few minutes. Sonic sighed deeply, his chest moving me up and down with the movement. I looked up at him to see that his light eyes were gazing down at me. I shot him a soft, encouraging smile.

"I just think that…I think that we should take things slow. We should get to know each other better and spend more time together before we start moving too fast." I nodded.

"I think that's fair."

"I also think that…we should keep our relationship under wraps…" I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we should keep our mouths shut about what's going on between us. Now, I don't want you to take this the wrong way. I would love to hold your hand and kiss you in school but… I did just dump Sally and she is kinda crazy, as you've witnessed. I just don't want any unnecessary drama to come between us." I picked my head up to look fully into his eyes. His hand came up to cup a side of my face. "I want to know Amy – without any distractions. I want there to just be me and you…nothing else. Would that…would that be alright with you?"

"Yes," I told him with a soft smile.

"Good, good. I'm sorry that I came on the way I did…I just didn't know how you would take it."

"It's alright." He smiled, his eyes falling down to my lips. His hand that had cupped the side of my face now fell to lightly grasp the sides of my chin. I blushed as he gently tugged them in his direction. "Are you going to kiss me or not," I asked him teasingly.

"Don't rush me, kitten." I giggled. "All I've been thinking about all weekend is the next time I would get to kiss these perfect lips of yours. I wanted to make sure I did it just as right." I turned a brighter shade of red as he once again tugged at my chin. This time, he brought my lips all the way down to meet his. Butterflies immediately rushed to my stomach as his lips immediately took the time to mold themselves with mine. His lips were so sweet, so soft, so delicious… I pressed my body against his as his tongue lightly entered mine, deepening the kiss. I wished that we could have stayed like that for longer but sadly, we had to break apart at the sound of my front door opening. I blushed deeply when I saw Adrian come into view through the doorway. He was already frowning before he looked to Sonic…and me sitting on his lap. He looked us up and down, his mouth curling into a slight grimace.

"Hey Adrian," I told him. He grunted a "hi" under his breath before he continued on his way into the kitchen. I looked to Sonic when he was gone to see that my lime eyed boy had his head tilted slightly.

"I don't think your brother likes me very much," he commented. I shrugged.

"Adrian just doesn't really know you yet, that's all. Once he gets to know you, he'll like you just as much as I do." Sonic smiled and leaned up to peck a kiss at my lips.

"I should get going." I frowned.

"Do you have to," I whined.

"Sadly, yes. I'm sorry, Amy. I'll call you later, okay." He kissed me again for a moment. I reluctantly got up from his lap and lead him to the front door. He kissed me once more before finally heading outside to his car. As soon as I shut the front door, my phone beeped lightly in my pocket. I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion as I pulled out my phone. The first thing I saw was an unknown number. The next was the text message the blocked number had sent.

_Pretty human…it'd be a shame if something were to happen to him…_

Then I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

I quickly opened the door to see if Sonic was still there but his car was already turning off the street. I silently swore as I looked around our quiet neighborhood. I tried to sniff out the seductive scent that the Bana carried with them but I didn't find anything. My stomach churned as the thought of them already following Sonic entered my mind. No, no, no…

"Adrian," I called as I shut the door. My brother was at my side in a nanosecond, his eyes wide with alert. "The vampires," I spoke shakily. "The ones who've been harassing me…they…I think they're going to go after Sonic. Look!" I showed him the text message. Adrian read over it calmly before shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Ames. They won't hurt him. They're under Scourge's orders and I doubt Scourge would know about him so quickly. Even if Scourge did know, I highly doubt he would waste his time. I'm sorry to say this, Amy, but you're his main concern. Not Sonic." I let out my worried breath.

"Are you sure that they won't hurt him?"

"Yes. Trust me, Scourge only sees the obstacles that are in his way. Right now, his minions are just trying to scare you. Don't worry." I nodded.

"I'll try."

Thankfully, later that night, Sonic did call me just as he had promised. He sounded as if he were perfectly fine – a little tired but fine nonetheless.

The next day at school, I tried hard to contain my worried expression but sadly Sonic noticed it. We were at my locker before lunch when he asked me why I looked so sad. "It's nothing," I'd told him. Sonic had grabbed my chin and tilted my head so that I would look up into his eyes.

"Amy," he said softly. The sound sent butterflies to my stomach but I ignored them. "Talk to me."

"It's nothing, Sonic. I promise that it's nothing."

"If it were nothing then you wouldn't look like someone ran over your dog. Now, tell me what's wrong. Is it those guys again? Are they trying to hurt you? If they are then you need to tell me; I'll help you."

"I know that you would help me but they're not hurting me. I'm fine, Sonniku. I promise." Sonic didn't look convinced. His beautiful eyes still held concern for me. I didn't know how else to get off the subject so I stepped closer to him. "Sonniku, we should be on adorably awkward right now, not all serious and tense. Let's save that for later in the relationship, shall we?" His lips tugged up into a smile.

"Sonniku, huh," he asked me. I blushed but nodded. He smiled wider. "I like that nickname." I giggled at him, thankful that his worry was able to fade away.

I kept a close eye on Sonic throughout the week. I made sure that he got home safely after he dropped me off and that he was safe at home as well. I used my vampire abilities to my advantage to check up on him during the night and various times during the late afternoon. He was always fine and oblivious to my presence. My brother hated me sneaking out without telling anyone but I was a bit too embarrassed to say out loud that I was trying to protect my boyfriend. Sure, he may have been the human I was supposed to protect but now we had romantic titles attached to each other. My family may think that I was just using an excuse to stalk him – or at least my parents might. I only showed Adrian the text message from the vampires so he understood what was going on…not that he liked it though.

Thankfully, Sonic remained in one piece by the time Friday came around. That afternoon while we were in math class, he proposed hanging out and doing whatever I wanted to do. I had to think hard about his proposal. I didn't exactly feel comfortable strutting around town with Sonic's beautiful face on my arms and those ruthless vampires watching us. While Adrian may think they weren't going to do anything, I didn't exactly trust that. So, I just told Sonic that we could spend the night in.

After I had gotten home, I immediately went to take a shower and get dressed in one of my cute, comfortable casual wear. Sonic told me that he was going to show up in sweatpants which was fine by me. I didn't want to be too dressed up so I settled on a baggy crop top and a pair of yoga pants. I tidied up my room since my parents told me that we could hang out up there. It felt like I was cleaning forever before a knock finally sounded on the door. I rushed downstairs to open it but Adrian had already opened the door.

"Back again I see," he told Sonic as he moved aside to let him in. Sonic looked unnaturally good in his baggy black sweatpants, a fitted tee, and his hoodie. His blue curls were messy but they emphasized his outfit. He looked really…hot.

"What can I say? You have a great sister," Sonic replied.

"I also have a great metal bat in my room," Adrian replied. Sonic raised an eyebrow but I quickly rushed between them before he could question what Adrian meant.

"Hey Sonniku," I told him. Adrian shot him another one of his evil little brother looks before walking off into the living room. Sonic watched him, his eyebrow still raised.

"I'm convinced your brother just hates me," Sonic said. I shook my head at him.

"Don't worry about him. Come on; let's go upstairs." I tugged on his hand. Sonic's lime eyes traveled to me and I saw them light up with admiration. I blushed as a proud smile crept up on his lips.

"You look good," he told me.

"Thank you," I told him. He let me tug him up the stairs and into my room. His eyes analyzed every single aspect of my room, walking around curiously as he did so. I blushed as I realized how vulnerable this felt to him. Showing him my room felt like showing him a whole other layer of what lay behind my face. In my room were my books, my music collections, my favorite movies, a mix of my old and new pictures – my personality in a deeper context. I waited patiently for him to finish looking around although I couldn't help but feel his anxiety. His whispering thoughts were in a bit of a small frenzy – as if he wasn't sure what to do. His eyes then traveled to my bed and I saw his jaw tighten. I diverted my own eyes towards my huge, welcoming bed and realized why he was so uncomfortable. Everyone in the school had known that Sonic and Sally did…things. I wasn't sure how far they'd taken things but I did know that this may have been a lot to adjust to for Sonic. He did say that he wanted to take things slow so that meant that we wouldn't be getting anywhere near the sex talk anytime soon.

"I set some movies out," I told Sonic, causing his gaze to come back to me. "I'm not sure how much of a romantic movie fan you are but I thought we could watch some of those. Maybe break out some ice cream, candy and soda and drown ourselves into diabetes." Sonic chuckled.

"You're cute," he said simply. "But I was thinking that maybe we could just…talk." He took a seat on my bed causing me to stare at him with wide eyes. "Come on kitten, I don't bite," he said as he patted the seat next to him. I blushed deeply as I walked up to him and sat down beside him. It felt strange, sitting so close to him on such a…tempting surface. I could feel the tension in the air that I'd read about in my books. I thought it was strange since Sonic and I had just started dating. We shouldn't be feeling so strongly so fast, should we? But then again, we had been bantering around for the past couple of months. Maybe the tension had always been there but we both hadn't taken the time to pay any mind to it. But now it was there…and so was his heartbeat…and his alluring scent…

"Do you want to see my old pictures," I blurted out suddenly in an attempt to distract my mind away from the predator thoughts it was leaning towards. Sonic seemed caught off guard by the question but agreed by it. I got up to grab one of the other scrapbooks from my old life that I hadn't had the time to look through. The title of it said "Friends &amp; Family" so I hoped that there was nothing too bad in it.

Sonic pawed through the book slowly, his eyes taking in every detail of all the pictures. From my fifth birthday party to a small amusement park trip with my friends. I could feel his thoughts making small comments but I couldn't detect what they were saying. His wall was still up, making his thoughts hard to decipher. He stopped at one picture; a family portrait of a younger Adrian and I and our late parents. He opened his mouth to ask the question of who the people were and why they weren't still with me. I answered his question before he could ask though. "My biological parents died in the freak accident I told you about…the one where I lost my memory. Amber and Richard are…family friends who were kind enough to take Adrian and I in. I don't really remember them…" Sonic raised his eyes to me but I kept my eyes on the picture. I looked like my biological mother. She was beautiful with emerald green eyes, pink hair, and tanned skin. Her eyes were the same unique shape as mine. From the way the old me described her in my journal, she was a gentle, sweet, thoughtful woman – kind of like how the old Amy Rose used to be.

"I'm so sorry, Amy. I…I didn't know that you lost your parents." He gently put his hand on my back to rub gently. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's okay," I told him. "They're in a better place now." Sonic pecked a kiss at my temple before flipping to the next page. On it was a picture of Scourge, Blaze and I. We looked to be about fourteen; we were smiling around a table with a birthday crown atop my head.

"Who's this," Sonic asked as he pointed to the smiling blue eyed boy.

"An old friend," I murmured.

"What's his name?"

"Scourge."

"What happened to him? How come Blaze's still around but he's…not?"

"He just…changed. I haven't seen him since my accident, honestly. We used to be best friends."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that you lost so many people who were close to you. I probably sounded so stupid telling you about how I lost my mom when you've lost so much."

"You didn't sound stupid, Sonic. Everyone handles their grief in different ways. You remember your mom; I don't remember my parents or Scourge all that much. All I know about them are from pictures, what people tell me, and old documents. I don't even remember who I used to be. That's something I just learned to live with. Since I don't remember, it was easy to move on. I understand that you loved your mother; it's normal for you not to move on as easily." I grabbed his hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "It's normal for you to miss her." Sonic forced a smile before pulling me close to kiss my temple again.

"Does it feel strange," he asked once he was done flipping through the photo album. "Having amnesia?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not the person I used to be…as if the old Amy got lost somewhere in my mind. Sometimes I feel lost…as if I don't know what I'm doing with my life."

"Well we're young, you've still got a lot of time to figure that out." If only that was true. While I do have more than an eternity of life open to me, the thought of not having anything to spend that time made my heart feel empty. I will admit that sometimes I wanted to be like the mortals. I wanted to get older, get married, have children… The families I'd seen always looked so happy…so united. I could sense that the old me used to want to raise a family. Sometimes when I dreamed, I got flashes of an older Scourge and I laughing at our wedding or us chasing little toddlers around. The old Amy Rose wanted to live the American dream…it was too bad that all that had to be taken away from her.

I blinked out of my thoughts when I felt Sonic push some hair away from my face. I smiled up at him, taking in his beautiful light green eyes and his long eyelashes. I slowly reached up to caress his cheekbone before letting my hand drop down to his defined jaw line. My fingers curled around to his chin before traveling north to trace his full lips. It took all my strength not to hurt him, to keep my touch as light as a feather. I could feel his fragile bones and muscles beneath my fingertips, making me extra cautious. I didn't want to hurt him. I relaxed my touch a bit when I got to his silky curls, so soft and thick between my fingers. Sonic's eyes softened as he let me examine him with my fingers. He put his hand on the side of my neck where he slightly added pressure so that I would tip my head back a bit. Sonic dipped down slowly to capture my lips with his.

I immediately melted under his kiss. His lips were once again gentle, slow, and oh so passionate as they danced with mine. I looped my arms around his neck and twisted my hands into his hair as I scooted closer to him. One of his arms wrapped itself around my torso while his other hands lightly tangled itself in the hair at the back of my head. My stomach fluttered as I felt the still foreign touch of his tongue against my lips. I felt a bit nervous about deepening the kiss since we were in my room…on my bed…alone. I was a bit afraid that things would escalate fast but I didn't want to pull away. Besides, I didn't get the idea that Sonic wanted sex from me. Instead, he was just kissing me.

His tongue slowly worked to get my mouth open. I tried to fight against his attempts but it was hard to resist his sweet taste. So, I gave in to his requests and let my lips part for his tongue's entrance. He immediately took advantage and gently deepened the kiss. About a moment after, I felt his arms use subtle strength to begin to lower me down onto the bed. The butterflies began to take a turn in a different direction as I felt my back hit my mattress and Sonic's firm torso press up against mine. Before I could take into account what the butterflies were doing, a memory flooded over in my mind.

"_Scourge__," I whimpered from under my boyfriend's perfectly sculpted body. His lips were on mine, passionately kissing me. His hands were on my hips, lightly tugging at my belt loops. My stomach had churned at the tug though I knew that it wasn't from fear of him doing anything. I was just afraid in general. I wasn't ready to lose my virginity. To Scourge yes but at the moment no. "Scourge," I whimpered again as I pushed as his shoulders. "I want to stop." Scourge picked his head up, his strikingly blue eyes boring down into my emerald green ones. His mouth pressed into a concerned line as he tilted his head at me. _

"_You okay, baby," he asked. "I wouldn't have touched you unless you asked me to." _

"_I know but I just…I'm scared," I murmured as I turned my head away. _

"_Amy__," Scourge said as he grabbed my chin. He led my eyes back to his. "You don't have to be scared. I won't hurt you." _

"_I'm not worried about that." He crinkled his eyebrows together. _

"_Then what are you worried about?" I blushed deeply as I once again looked away. _

"_Won't it hurt when we…" I asked. Scourge sighed before he kissed my cheek. _

"_Don't worry about that Amy. Remember that this will be something new to both of us; I'll do my best to make sure I don't hurt you." I looked up at him from under my eyelashes. His blue topaz orbs were sincere, promising. My stomach fluttered in embarrassment. _

"_I'm sorry," I murmured. _

"_Don't be, baby." He pecked my lips. "I love you." _

"_I love you too." He smiled before leaning back down to crush his lips against mine. _

Tears welled up in my eyes as my implicit memory mourned the memory. It's new control over my body noticed the foreign lips moving against mine and decided to retaliate against it. Without thinking, I bit down on Sonic's lip. He pulled away quickly, his eyes wide with surprise. My own eyes widened when I saw that I had caused him to bleed the slightest bit. "I'm sorry," I immediately told him. I leaned up to touch him but he moved back a bit. He licked the blood off, diverting his lime eyes away from me. I silently swore as he got off me. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to. I just…" Sonic stared at me with an eyebrow cocked, a smirk tugging at his lips. I felt my cheeks burn as his smirk won the battle on his lips.

"I thought we were done with the claws kitten," he said.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Amy, it's fine." He kissed my temple. "I shouldn't have advanced so quickly. That was my fault. Are you alright?" I nodded. "Good," he said simply before pecking a kiss at my lips. "I'm the one who's sorry," he murmured against my lips.

"It's okay," I whispered back. He kissed me for another moment before pulling away. "So…movies and ice cream and soda?" Sonic chuckled at me.

"Let's drown ourselves in diabetes."

**Review if you wish **


	14. Steady

**So, this chapter and the next were actually supposed to be one big chapter but I like them better separated so yea...**

**All Characters belong to Sega except my OCs.**

**Chapter 13: Steady **

"Let me take you out tomorrow night," Sonic said suddenly. It was Friday night and I was laying on my bed talking on the phone with him. He had to go somewhere with his family that afternoon so we weren't able to hang out but he did promise me that we would spend time together the next day.

"Or we can just stay in. My mom brought me this movie trilogy about some girl who dates some millionaire but he's like abusive and it's really weird and I don't' want to watch it alone," I countered. I'd been countering his attempts to go out for the past…month now. I blushed deeply at the thought of us being together for a month. It hadn't exactly felt that long. With school and sneaking around and still trying to keep up with my friends, time had flown by pretty quickly. Sonic and I hadn't really been doing anything though. Mostly we would just hang out at each other's houses and watch movies and play games and talk. It may not sound like a whole lot of fun but to us it was – or at least to me. I mean, it wasn't as if I really had a choice but to like it. I didn't exactly feel comfortable flaunting Sonic around on my arm while those vampires were still out there possibly watching him. I needed Sonic to be safe which meant that we had to keep our interaction to a lower minimum than it already was. He still hadn't introduced the fact of us being a couple to his friends or my friends or his family even. I hadn't met his father or Cream's mother yet but I had a feeling that they didn't even know Sonic and I were close – or if I even existed at all. Cream never really mentioned her mother… However, Sonic was still afraid that Sally was still pissed off and I was still afraid of the vampires coming after him. So, overall, keeping our relationship even more behind closed doors than it already was should've been a good thing…for the time being.

"I'm starting to think I'm too ugly to be seen outside with you," Sonic teased. I gasped dramatically.

"Says the one who wanted to keep me a secret in the first place."

"How do you know that I just wanted to keep your beauty all to myself," he countered. "Which I am liking, by the way." I blushed deeply. "Let me take you out tomorrow night. Please."

"Okay, you win." He chuckled before letting out a yawn. "Someone sounds like they're tired."

"A little bit. My dad decided we were all going to go out to dinner and then go out to some stupid party for his job. Cream tried to make me dance."

"And did you?"

"Maybe." I giggled. "Maybe at prom, I'll bust a couple of dance moves for you."

"Prom," I thought aloud. "Is that coming up soon?"

"Kind of. It's…shit what month is it?" I heard him shift in the background. "It's February. We've got two months till prom."

"Really," I asked in disbelief. It hadn't felt like all that long. But then again, Sonic and I didn't exactly really start becoming friends until the homecoming dance in October. Then we sort of got closer over those next two months and we went on our first date in January… Wow, time really did fly for a vampire.

"Yea," Sonic said. He yawned again. "I'm still thinking of a way to ask you." I blushed deeply.

"I should be letting you get some rest," I told him. "You're gonna fall asleep on me."

"Hmm," his voice got deeper as his sleepiness got ahold of it. "You promise you're going to let me take you out tomorrow?"

"I promise. Get some sleep for me."

"Will do. Goodnight Amy."

"Goodnight Sonic." I heard him chuckle lightly before I hung up the phone. Just as I was about to snuggle up into my own covers, I heard the door downstairs open. I immediately knew it was Adrian. He had been coming home in the middle of the night for a while now. I didn't know where he went or what he was doing but I did know that he always got home safely.

I padded downstairs to the kitchen where I heard his footsteps wander off to. As soon as I walked through the doorway of the kitchen, my nose was hit with the seductive scent of the Bana mixed into Adrian's scent. My heart skipped a beat as I looked over my brother's dirty clothing and the hard expression on his face. My mind flashed back to the moment where my father had brought him into my new life for the first time. I felt my eyes water at the thought of him going through the same thing he'd went through before he'd gotten here with me. I still could only imagine what type of Hell Adrian possibly could've gone through; he wouldn't talk and I'd left the subject alone. I always thought that maybe it didn't have to matter anymore.

"Adrian what happened," I asked as I hurried up to him. I made him look at me as I checked his face and his arms. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Amy," Adrian replied. "I'm fine."

"Did you run into them? Did they corner you? Did they hurt you or anything? Did you fight them? God, Adrian, please tell me you didn't try to take all three of them on by yourself."

"Amy," Adrian said as he grabbed my arms. "I'm fine," he said with a soft shake. "I just got into a little scuffle with Kyle but I'm not hurt or anything. He was just being an asshole so I decided to also be an asshole and punch him right in his jaw." I frowned.

"Which one is Kyle?"

"The one with the green eyes and the black hair; he's usually the one who does the talking. He's one of Scourge's right hand guys…but right now it seems as if Scourge's sent him to do other things beside order their sector around."

"Other things as in…?"

"They were looking for us," Adrian explained simply. "Don't worry, I'm trying to take care of them."

"Adrian, you shouldn't be doing this by yourself. You should be talking to Richard or talking to me or something. You can't just sneak out in the middle of the night and try to negotiate with them. What if they kill you?" Adrian's emerald eyes darkened.

"Then I guess they kill me," he said before walking around me. "Night Ames," he called as he headed towards the stairs. I frowned after my brother. I understood his good intentions but was he seriously trying to get himself killed? I may not know what those vampires were capable of but I had a pretty good idea if Scourge had sent them. What did Scourge want so bad with me anyway? It's not like I remember who he is. But then again, what did that even have to matter? Scourge didn't think straight anymore. He was evil…and he wanted us to be together – no matter what it took.

I tried to sleep that night but I had a hard time getting comfortable. I was still worried about Adrian and I was worried about Kyle – now that I could put a name to face. I didn't know how far he would go to please Scourge's orders. I didn't even know if he really had to do anything. What if he just told Scourge where we were and was waiting for him to pop up out of thin air? My stomach churned at the thought of being reunited with my old love. While my implicit mind was torn in two about it felt about him, my conscious mind was still trying to put together who he was supposed to be now. Did I want to forgive him? Did I want to hate him? Did I still love him? Did I want to be with him…even for a friendship's sake? I wished I had the answers. Every part of my heart was giving me mixed emotions when it came to this boy. I guess that should tell me more than enough. He provoked emotion in me…that's what I had to work with.

My mind wandered to Sonic and how guilty I felt for contemplating my feelings for someone else while I had strong feelings for him. I wasn't exactly interested in being in a love triangle or anything. In fact, I more or less just wanted to be happily in love. My heart told me that Sonic could give me that happiness. I was already feeling so comfortable and happy and lovey dovey with him. I was falling deeper in love with him. I needed to start thinking about him more than I did about Scourge. He was the one in my life – not Scourge…or at least for the moment. My stomach once again churned at the thought of a reunion of Scourge. I could only pray that I would have enough time to get my thoughts together before I had to live through that event.

The next day, I mostly camped out in my room and read a new novel that I had brought. The new world took my mind away from the events going on in my own life, making me feel a bit better. I had given myself a headache the night before – one that a bottle of blood couldn't cure.

I was excited to see Sonic later that day, though. Once two o' clock finally rolled by, I got up out of my bed and took a shower. Once I was clean and smelled like strawberries, I got dressed in a simple short sleeved red dress that fitted my torso and flared out into a soft skirt at my waist. I put some curls in my hair and dabbed on a bit of makeup. By the time I was looking sweet yet sexy, I heard Sonic's familiar knock on the door. I quickly flounced down the steps to open the door for him.

"Hey kitten," he told me as I smiled up at him. He was dressed in a simple gray tee with a pair of worn jeans and sneakers. His curls were shorter now since he'd gotten them trimmed down and a hint of his growing mustache was clear on his face. He looked gorgeous in my eyes despite his scruffy attire. I leaned up to give him a kiss.

"Hi wolf," I replied. He chuckled as he grabbed my hand. I tugged him around the house as I got my purse and things together. Finally, we were on our way in his black Camaro. He drove downtown to the shopping area where stores lined every corner. I was surprised that he had chosen for us to go shopping of all things but I took the opportunity. Sonic protectively held me close to him as I explored the stores, letting him get me a few things here and there. He refused to let me pay for anything including this beautiful necklace that I spotted. It was a diamond heart that had a small space for an engraving. I was going to ask the clerk for it but Sonic wouldn't let me. In fact, he seemed a bit caught off guard that I was interested in it. He had to drag me out the store to get me to drop our small argument of why he wouldn't let me buy it. I soon saw a pretty bracelet in another store that ensued another argument since Sonic wouldn't let me get that either.

"It's my job to get you fancy jewelry," he had told me as he pulled me out the doors. He intertwined our hands as we stepped out into the warm Orlando weather.

"That bracelet wasn't fancy," I replied. Sonic rolled his eyes at me.

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"I'm supposed to buy you jewelry – fancy or not. I'm supposed to spoil you in riches for being the most wonderful girl in the world." I blushed as he leaned down to kiss me.

"Curse you and your cheesy pick-up lines," I teased him.

"I see that you keep falling for them though," he countered quickly. I rolled my eyes at him before tugging him off towards another store.

After our small shopping spree, Sonic took me out to dinner in a small restaurant with amazing food. I practically devoured the huge bacon cheddar cheeseburger and fries that I had ordered. Sonic watched me with soft eyes as I did so, causing me to blush deeply. "What," I asked once I had swallowed one of my bites. He shook his head.

"I like a girl who can eat like a trucker but dress like a lady," he replied. I blushed as I looked away.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Possibly." I shook my head.

"Sonniku, you need to reevaluate your romance priorities," I teased him. He rolled his eyes at me.

"I did and trust me; it's much better now."

"Oh really?"

"Mhmm."

"How so?"

"Well, I think that I like beautiful, short, witty, fashionable girls now."

"Hey, leave my height alone."

"I can't. It's one of the things that makes me like you." He smiled as he said this, his dimple appearing his cheek. I blushed deeply but decided to drop the subject before he could make me any more flustered. Overall, dinner was great, despite Sonic's smart remarks – let's put it that way.

After dinner, Sonic drove us up to the edge of town before taking a back road that led up to a huge cliff. The cliff had a perfect view of the twinkling city below it and the dark night sky with glowing stars above it. I will admit that I was impressed by the wonderful view but I couldn't help to comment just to mess with Sonic.

"This looks like a teen make out spot," I told him. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him. "Are you trying to make out with me up here?"

"Yes but I could do that even if we didn't come up here." I rolled my eyes at him. "But that's not what I brought you up here for." I raised my eyebrows as he got out of the car. He walked over to the passenger side where he opened the door for me. "Come on out, kitten." I did as I was told but then he put me right back into the car, just in the back seat. I shot him a confused expression before he shot me a mischievous smile and disappeared behind the hood of the trunk. I waited patiently as he got whatever he was doing together. I crossed my legs and picked lint off of my dress. I tried not to look at what he was doing; I didn't want to ruin whatever surprise he was doing. Thankfully, my curiosity didn't get to run too wild before he came back into the car with me.

"Are you going to tie me up and kidnap me or something," I asked as I eyed the bag in his hand. He shook his head although a smile began to play on his lips.

"Come here," he murmured. I hesitated but scooted closer to him. Apparently my proximity wasn't enough since he pulled me even closer, so close that our legs were pressed up against each other. "Much better," he whispered. I blushed at the tone of his accented voice though I began to feel my stomach begin to fill with nervous butterflies. He raised his hand to caress my cheek softly, causing my skin to tingle in pleasure. I leaned into his gentle touch, rubbing my cheek into his palm. "_Mi gatita bonita,_ " he murmured under his breath. I raised my eyes to meet his. I'd never heard him speak Spanish before. Sure, I understood the language but I just…he'd never spoke it in front of me. I didn't even know if he knew Spanish, honestly. But now that I knew that he did…it made me like him even more. His accent took control completely of his voice when he had spoken which combined with his soft tone sent more than just a chill down my spine. "Amy, I…I really like you," he told me.

"I really like you too, Sonic," I told him.

"I mean I really _like_ you, Amy. What I feel inside for you is more than I've ever felt for anyone and I…I don't want it to go away. I want to…I want to build a relationship with you – a real one. I'm done with hiding away and not expressing my feelings for you in the way that I should be. You have become to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time and I don't think I can go another day with asking if you'd…if you'd be my girlfriend." I smiled.

"Are you asking me to go steady with you?"

"If that's what you want to call it, yes; I want to go steady with you."

"Well, I think we're going steady then." Sonic smiled. He leaned down to capture my lips with his in a soft kiss for a moment.

"I have something for you," he said as he opened up the bag that was sitting next to him. He pulled out his football varsity jacket that had his last name inscribed above the heart. He carefully wrapped me up in the jacket, handling my slender arms as if I were made of glass. He moved my hair out from under the collar before pulling the sides close together so that I was covered. Immediately, his scent bombarded my nose but in a good, comforting way. I liked the way that it wrapped around me, like a sweet blanket – like his arms. I leaned down my head the slightest bit to take a small whiff of his sweet scent that was still so strongly attached to the fabric. "Perfect," he murmured before digging into the bag once again. He pulled out a small box this time. In it was the same diamond heart necklace I'd seen in the store but with my name engraved into the small silver border on the side.

"Sonic," I murmured as he put it in my hands. "This was so expensive."

"You deserve it," he told me. I blushed deeply. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you," I told him.

"You're welcome. Let me put it on for you." I slid the necklace back into his hands before scooting around and holding my hair up for him. He slipped the necklace around my neck before leaning in to peck a soft kiss at my neck. My breath hitched at the foreign sensation of his soft lips on the skin at my neck and the subtle tickle of his breath on my jugular. I let a soft sigh of content as he pulled away from me. I looked down at the necklace to see that it was sparkling in the soft moonlight. It was so beautiful. I turned back around to face my new boyfriend who was smiling at me with strong adoration in his sparkling amber eyes. Who knew that this boy, so quiet and guarded, was such a romantic when it came to woman? Who knew that this boy, so seemingly hard and mean, could be so kind and good? Who knew that this boy was going to be the one I was hopelessly in love with? I realized it then, staring at his beautiful face in the silver moonlight, that I was in love with him. I was in love with his fragile heart, his broken soul, his beautiful face…I was in love with all of him.

I didn't have the time to tell him my thoughts before he pulled me close against him and kissed me passionately, his lips moving quickly to dance with mine. I melted into him, locking away my thoughts for another time. Right then, I wanted to indulge in Sonic's sweet embrace, my newfound love for him…and the fact that we had actually succumb to the cliff's infamous title.

**Review if you wish**


	15. Triple Date

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 14: Triple Date**

I'll admit that I wasn't completely sure how the next Monday morning was going to go. Since Sonic had asked me to go steady with him, I wasn't positive if his "No PDA" rule was still in effect. I mean, Sally hadn't bothered either of us since her small outburst the Monday after Sonic had broken up with her – or at least she hadn't bothered me. Sonic hadn't spoken about her since he broke up with her; he barely talked about her before. I was assuming that maybe she'd gotten over herself and let the whole situation go. She didn't seem like she cared about Sonic anyway. If anything, she was just using him…just as he was using her.

I kept my mouth shut to Blaze while we drove to school. While I was dying to tell her about Sonic and I's romantic date the other night, I wasn't too comfortable sharing our new exclusive status. I wasn't sure why but I felt as telling people – including my family would ruin my blissful feeling. While my parents were fine with me dating a mortal, Adrian and Blaze weren't exactly the best advocates. I understood that they were only looking out for my best interest but I wanted to be happy and Sonic made me just that.

Surprisingly, my new boyfriend was actually leaning against my locker when I turned the corner in the hallway. He looked good in his tee and jeans but the hard, concerned expression on his face threw me off. My eyes diverted to Cream who was talking to him. She also had a small frown on her face with her eyebrows crinkled together in concern. I watched her lips move as she said something causing Sonic to let out a sigh of frustration. I will admit that I did want to tune in and see what was going on but I could tell that this situation was none of my business. Clearly it was a personal matter and I shouldn't be sticking my nose in it. Sonic would tell me when he was ready. He always told me what was going on.

They both immediately stopped talking as I greeted them. Cream looked to me and forced a smile on her face. "Hey Amy, how was your weekend," she asked.

"It was good…very good. How was yours," I replied.

"Good, good." I looked to Sonic who was blocking my locker, his gaze away focused on the opposite end of the hallway.

"Hey," I told him.

"Amy," he said simply. "We'll finish our conversation later, Cream," he told his step-sister. He glanced down at me before walking off. I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion as he went.

"Is he alright," I asked Cream. My friend shrugged her shoulders.

"He'll be fine. He's just having one of his days. I think he started his period today." I giggled at her comment though I couldn't help but to think that the statement was a lie. Sure, I get that Sonic had his small "screw the world" days but the expression on his face didn't carry the sign on his forehead that usually accompanied him. That's how I could tell that something might have been really wrong.

I waited anxiously through my first three class periods before I finally got to talk to Sonic. I had snuck away from my friends with the excuse of having to use the bathroom so that I could get to Sonic's locker before he did. Luckily, I did get there before he did despite all the people traffic that I had to squeeze through. I was only standing there for a moment before Sonic's scent grasped the attention of my nose. "Hey," I told him as he approached me. He was frowning, his sign now flashing bold and clear on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said sharply. I stared at him in confusion as I tried to ignore the small sting of hurt I felt at the tone of his words. I wanted to question the statement further but he let out an exasperated sigh. He ran a hand through his silky curls as he did so, causing a small flutter in my stomach. "I'm sorry," he told me. "I don't mean to be a douche but I just…I didn't have the best day yesterday."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really," he said. "But I do want a kiss; maybe that will make me feel better." His lips had turned up into his boyish grin, causing me to smile as well. I looked around the still milling hallway before taking a step closer to him. Usually, we would only kiss in school when there was absolutely no one around. His request for such an intimate gesture in the middle of a crowded hallway had caught me off guard. Nonetheless, however, I leaned up onto my tippy toes to press my lips onto his. Now, I had only made the intention of landing a small peck on his lips. Sonic, on the other hand, seemed to have other plans. At the contact between our lips, he wrapped his arms tight around my body and pulled me close against him. His lips then moved slowly, sweetly with mine. Although I was consumed by the sweetness of his lips, I did notice all sound in the hallway vanish completely. Sonic only held me like that for a little more than a moment but it was enough for the entire hallway to notice. As soon as he pulled out of the kiss, I heard the whispers begin to swirl around us. I blushed deeply as I looked around and noticed now everyone's wide eyes on me.

"Don't worry about them," Sonic told me. "Just worry about you and me." He kissed my forehead. "It's all about you and me."

Once Sonic was done at his locker, he walked me to my own locker. He kept his arm over my shoulders as he did so, keeping me close to him. The students passing by gawked openly at us before whispering quietly amongst themselves once they thought we were out of hearing range. Every student we passed did this as we traveled to my locker and then down to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was the worst. As soon as we walked in, all eyes went to us. Obviously everyone had heard the news swirling around. I could hear their buzzing thoughts in my head as they exclaimed it in their head. Sonic and I were together.

While most of the students' mental tones were just the normal ones of gossip and curiosity, I could pick out a few minds that weren't exactly happy with it. One of them, of course, was Sally but yet I got the sense that she didn't care at the same time. She called me a foul name, yes, but she didn't care that Sonic was dating me. Instead, she seemed a bit…glad I guess you could say. That completely threw me off. After the fit she threw a month ago, I thought she would be furious. But I guess not…?

Our table had their jaws dropped as we approached them, causing me to blush. Blaze was raising an eyebrow at me while Cream was just smiling softly at us. Sonic's friends looked completely shocked. "Dude," Tails said as we sat down. "When did you ask her out?"

"You guys were dating," Knuckles asked in surprise. "Since when? I mean, it was obvious you liked her but when did you finally grow the balls to ask her on a date?"

"A month ago," Sonic said simply. His wall was back up again, his beautiful eyes guarded once more. Despite his wall, he let a small smirk come upon his lips. "Do you guys not listen when I talk? I know I don't do it often but come on." Tails and Knuckles looked hurt by his words and they all immediately went into a playful banter about when and when not to listen to Sonic. Their conversation was amusing yet I couldn't help but to engage myself into a conversation with my own friends. They were staring at me with small smiles.

"It's about time," Cream said. "I thought he was never going to ask you out."

"He told you," I asked as heat rushed to my cheeks.

"No but it wasn't exactly a secret that he likes you. It's all over his face…and all over yours that you like him back."

"It's been on your face since the moment you first saw him," Blaze said. I blushed deeper at the memory of when I first saw him in the mall – when I first felt this strong attraction towards him. "I'm happy that you're happy," she said sincerely. "But if he breaks your heart, I'm breaking his face." I giggled at her as I shook my head. Her thoughts suddenly began to waver over to me, basically begging for me to read them. I tried to give her a confused expression but she seemed oblivious to what her mind was doing as she and Cream teamed up to tease me about Sonic. While I wanted to listen to them, I decided against it so that I could read Blaze's thoughts.

The first that that flashed before my eyes was an image of my best friend crying, standing above my unconscious and bleeding body. She kept murmuring apologies and prayers that I would wake up. As I looked deeper past the image, I realized that I wasn't even supposed to be home that night. I was supposed to be at Blaze's house, seeking refugee while my parents went to town council. Sadly, the plans had changed and we'd both gotten caught up in attacks. While hers was from an unknown face, mine was from someone whom I trusted…whom I'd loved. Blaze didn't know that at the time though. She had thought that I was in the same situation that she was – an innocent bystander wounded by the horrors of a violent war.

Adrian soon appeared behind her along with the blue eyed boy from my pictures. "Blaze, she's going to be okay," Scourge told her as he bent down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Adrian stayed close to him, small tears falling from his eyes. "I know a place I can take her where she'll be safe – where she and Adrian will be safe." Blaze looked over her shoulder to look at him.

"You promise you'll take care of her? And I mean it, Scourge. You have to take care of her."

"I promise, Blaze." Scourge kissed her forehead before crawling around her to me. His eyes softened as he gathered my undead body into his arms. He gave Blaze a nod after he stood up before disappearing into the darkness behind her.

Then, I felt a rush of sadness, guilt and anger flow through the mental Blaze's body. The emotions came in quick sequences as she figured out what Scourge was and where he had taken Adrian and I. She blamed herself for giving me away to him; she hated that she didn't ask more questions or try to go with us to make sure I would be alright. She hated that she hadn't stood by my side throughout all the years that had passed while I'd been in the darkness.

From the happy look on Scourge's face now, I wouldn't have thought that she felt so strongly on the inside. But then again, I was realizing that about people. They put up masks to hide their true emotions, afraid that the wrong person would see it and take advantage. They wanted to look a certain way to the world but feel the complete opposite on the inside. Mortals and vampires alike were poor, contradicting creatures.

"We should all go out on a triple date," I heard Blaze say suddenly, causing me to blink out of her thoughts. She was smiling widely at me, her eyes bright with charisma. "On Friday, we should all go out skating this weekend. I heard the place downtown is really nice."

"I'll go," Cream said first with a soft smile. "It will be fun to go out on a triple date."

"Yea," I said as I smiled. "I'm in too." I glanced at Sonic who was still playfully arguing with his friends. I didn't want to interrupt his conversation so I just decided to ask him if he wanted to go at a later time. I hoped that since I had already agreed to it, he would be down for it as well.

I actually didn't get to propose the question to him until we were in his car and he was driving me home. In math class, Mr. Shepard's lesson had consumed the whole period so I didn't have time to ask him then. He was in a good mood though, a content smile on his face as we drove down the road. "You wanna go out skating on Friday night," I asked him. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye as he raised an eyebrow.

"Skating? That's so seventh grade," he teased. "But since I'll get to spend time with you then I'll be more than happy to go."

"Cool. But there is one thing you should know…"

"What's that?"

"I kind of…don't know how to skate." Sonic raised both of his eyebrows in surprise.

"Really," he asked.

"Yea. The amnesia took more away than you would think." Sonic reached out one of his hands to grab ahold of mine and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Well, I'd be more than happy to teach you." I smiled as I brought his knuckles up to my lips. I pecked a soft kiss against his fragile bones.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Sonic chuckled as I pecked another kiss at his knuckles.

The rest of the week went by ungodly slow. I wasn't exactly sure why but every day just seemed to drag on. I think a part of me was a bit too excited for that coming Friday night. My friends had hyped it more than enough by talking about getting a big group of us since Sonic's other two friends were going to bring their girlfriends as well. It was going to be fun, hanging out in a big group. Yet, despite that, I think I was excited to spend some quality time with Sonic. As the week progressed on, he began to get more comfortable with PDA in school. He began to hold my hand longer in the hallways, he offered good morning kisses at my locker, and he openly gave me sweet compliments. While his gestures may not seem like much, they meant the world to me at the time. Just Sonic's presence meant everything to me. He just made me feel so fuzzy and warm whenever he was around. The feelings increased whenever he kissed me or held me or even just told me that I looked pretty. He was making me fall deeper for him.

When Friday night finally came around, I went home with Blaze for a change and we got ready together. After showering, Blaze went to work on putting outfits together and then wrestling with my hair. She put me in a fitted red top that had flowy long sleeves with long openings at the sides, a pair of black jeggings, and a pair of cute sneaker wedges. She curled my hair into soft, bouncy curls and let it spill down over my shoulders. She then made up my face with a fierce smoky eye and soft red lips. I looked more than just attractive by the time she was done with me.

Blaze, herself, merely put on a white fitted crop top that showed off her pierced belly button, a pair of ripped jeans, and a pair of white converses . She straightened her own hair and styled into a half up, half down look. She gave her soft natural look with bronze eyeshadow and neutral colored lips.

When we both descended down into the living room, our younger siblings raised an eyebrow at us. They were sitting on the couch watching television. Olivia was sitting in Adrian's lap, her head cradled into the space between his neck and his shoulders. She looked up sister up and down with suspicious eyes. Adrian did the same to me although I could practically feel his bubbling overprotective thoughts trying to beat into my head. "Where are you two going," he asked. His mind suddenly went to the vampires who'd been harassing me and I noticed his body tense. We hadn't spoken much about them after he let me know that they wouldn't hurt Sonic. While I had been trying to get the thought out of my head, Adrian just seemed to not want to bring it up. I still wasn't comfortable with the thought of him trying to handle the situation himself though. I wished he would talk more to me about what was going on, he'd seemed anxious to fill me in before. Now, he seemed as if he'd changed his mind about leaving me in the dark.

"On dates. We're going skating with our boyfriends," Blaze said. "Did you guys wanna come? There's a big group of us going."

"No thanks," Olivia said. "Adrian and I are fine right here." Blaze shrugged.

"Suit yourselves. Come on, Amy." I waved the young couple a goodbye before following Blaze out the door. As I did so, Adrian sent me a mental message.

_Be careful. I don't trust that mortal of yours. _

I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion as continued to walk. Sure, Adrian had trust issues due to what had happened to him with Scourge but sometimes his instincts were right. I get that he didn't want me dating at all and he was already afraid for my safety but I did have to take his advice with a grain of salt. Blaze didn't exactly trust Sonic either. This wasn't just Adrian being my brother, this was Adrian trying to protect me. But why? What was so wrong about Sonic that was throwing everyone but me off?

I sent the question to the back of my mind with the intentions of analyzing it later. Right then, I just wanted to have a little bit of fun with the boy who I was falling head over heels for.

Sonic, Cream, Tails, and Silver were waiting for us in the lobby when we finally got the huge building in the city. The lobby was a huge room with a box office for bracelets and skate rental tokens and doors that led to restrooms, the main skating area, another lounge area, a restaurant area, and even a stairway that led up to a teen club. I was in awe as I looked around at the environment around me. When my eyes connected with Sonic, who was staring at me, I felt myself blush deeply. He was dressed in a fitted black short sleeved cotton button up shirt with a pair of black jeans and black jeans. His lime eyes were analyzing my outfit appreciatively as a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Hey," I told him as I hugged him.

"Hey," he replied. His lips went to my ear as his arms tightened around me. "I really like your outfit. I think I'm going to have to keep my eye on you tonight; I can't have all these other guys trying to hit on my chica," he whispered, his accent strong. I blushed deeply as I felt his plush lips brush the skin on my ear.

"You won't have to worry. I only have eyes for one." Sonic let out a soft chuckle and kissed my cheek.

"Come on. I already brought your stuff." He led me through the doors where the skating area lay. He sat me down on the bench in the locker room type place before going to order my skates for me. When he returned, he got down on his knees and hooked the roller blades up on my feet. He then put the paper orange bracelet around my small wrist. Once he was done, he moved on to work on putting on his own skates. I waited patiently for him to finish before letting him help me up. I wobbled as I tried to balanced myself. Sonic kept his hands on my hips, holding me as I steadied myself. "You good," he asked. I nodded. "Just take it slow." He grabbed my hand and helped me skate out the locker area.

We entered through another doorway into a dim lit room with flashing neon lights. There was a huge circle that took up most of the room in which people were skating happily in it. Sonic guided me into the circle in which I fell back into him once I hit the glossy floor of the circle. Before the floor had been carpet, much easier to control the skates on. Sonic caught me though. "Careful," he told me. "Now move your feet, like you're walking but very slowly and without picking up your feet too much." I followed his instructions the best I could and actually began to move against the floor. "Good girl," I heard Sonic murmur.

I wobbled along for a good half an hour before getting the strength to speed up a bit. Sonic stayed close behind me, his hands held out in front of him in case I fell. I actually did end up falling when I got too comfortable and slipped right back into his arms. Sonic tried to steady himself from the impact but we both ended up falling right on the ground. He laughed at our position. "Was that payback for all that smack I talked when we first met," he asked.

"No but if the shoe fits," I said with a teasing smile. Sonic shook his head before helping me up. Eventually I did get the hang of skating and was able to skate on my own. Of course, Sonic didn't leave my side but I was less of a pain. He held my hand as we glided around the circle while the loud music played. Our friends did catch up with us and we played tag with the boys and had a nice pizza dinner in the restaurant section. I had a lot of fun with Sonic and my friends. I was beginning to relax more around them until the familiar seductive smell reached my nose. We were eating at a round table when I caught it so I tried my best not to look alarmed. I turned my eyes to Blaze to see if she'd smelled it as well but she seemed oblivious. So, I took it to myself to find out where the smell was coming from. I scanned around the crowded area until I saw Kyle's glowing green eyes hovering near the doorway to the exit. He flashed his fangs in his smile at me before nodding his head towards the exit doors. _Outside, _his voice said inside my head. _Now. Come alone and I'll consider leaving your beautiful human alone. _

I glanced at Sonic beside me to see that his body had tensed up the slightest bit. He was staring down at me, his eyebrows crinkled together in concern. I smiled at him and pecked a kiss at his lips. "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back," I told him.

"Alright," he said simply as I stood up. I quietly made my way away from the table and to the double doors that led to the warm outside. Kyle was leaning against the side of the building, a lit cigarette in his mouth. He was dressed in a simple tee, jeans, and sneakers. He looked like a normal older teen, probably to blend in with the crowd. He smiled between the cigarette when he noticed me.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here: a vampire acting like a human. You humor me, Amy," he told me. He took a puff of the cigarette before blowing the smoke in my direction.

"What do you want? Why are you threatening my human? He doesn't need to be involved in this. He's just an innocent bystander."

"I'm using him as a threat because obviously he's your motivation to do whatever I tell you to do. The reason I'm here: well I have orders to comply with; you should know that."

"What does…Scourge want then?" I crossed my arms protectively across my chest.

"He wants you – alive and pretty. That means that I can't particularly harm you which then means that you have to come willingly. You can make that difficult or you can make it easy, it's all up to you. Either way, I'm going to follow through with my orders." I shuddered at the casual tone he'd used the cold sentence in. "I'll give you some time to think before I'll be back to hear your decision. Don't take too long; Scourge's an impatient man." He took another puff of the cigarette. "Choose wisely; just because Scourge wants you unharmed doesn't mean I won't do what I need to. That includes not only harming you but harming your human, your brother, your friends…whatever it takes to get you to come with me."

"I don't understand," I murmured as fear shook through me. My stomach felt heavy as the realization of the situation was hitting me. Either way I was going to have to go to Scourge. Obviously his…accomplices were obedient enough to comply with whatever he told them. They weren't going to stop until Scourge got what he wanted.

"What don't you understand?"

"Why does Scourge want me so badly?" Kyle stared at me for a moment, his eyes softening the slightest bit.

"Because he loves you," Kyle said simply. "I'll be back soon. Think hard about your decision." Kyle stuck the cigarette back into his mouth before turning and walking down the sidewalk. I opened my mouth to speak, but I immediately closed it back. While I wanted to tell him to take me now so that everyone could be safe, I knew that I couldn't disappear out of thin air. My mortal friends had seen me leave and my family thought I was with them. They'd all immediately go looking for me – Sonic especially. I had to be smart about what I was going to do. I had to make sure it was the right time…and in the right way.

My boyfriend was waiting near the door when I came back in. A deep frown was on his face, his light green eyes hard. I opened my mouth to apologize about lying about where I was going but he spoke before I got the chance. "Who were you talking to," he asked, his voice hard.

"No one," I lied. Sonic's mouth turned into a tight line. He knew I was lying. He was probably standing here the whole time, watching me talk to Kyle. There was no way I could make up a good excuse to get him off my back.

"Wasn't that one of the guys from the yogurt café? The one who was harassing you?"

"Sonic, it's nothing. Everything is fine."

"Who's Scourge," he asked. His eyebrows crinkled together. "Is that the same guy from the pictures? What does he want from you?"

"Sonic, how long were you standing there," I asked as my stomach bubbled in worry. Did he hear me call him "my human" or Kyle referencing him as a mortal? Did he get the idea that I wasn't human? My heart weighted down with worry as the thought of him finding out what I was crossed my mind. Would he still love me or would he think I was a deceiving monster?

"Long enough," he said simply. "What does he want from you?"

"Sonic, I don't…" a lump formed in my throat as my eyes began to burn with tears. "I don't want to talk about it. Please, can you not…I don't…I can't…" I couldn't form the words to let him know that it was too much. I didn't want to think about losing him or my family due to the fact that I wanted to keep them alive. I had to sacrifice myself to keep all of them safe. I had to deal with the guy the old Amy had loved. I had to leave the boy the new Amy was falling for.

"Amy," Sonic said as he came closer to me. I hadn't noticed that a lone tear had fallen from my face. He wiped it away gently before wrapping me up into his arms. He kissed the top of my head. "Want me to take you home?"

"Yes, please," I murmured into his chest.

"Okay." He kissed my head once more before leading me out to his car. He drove me home in silence, his radio the only noise between us. I wanted to apologize for ruining the night but I couldn't bring myself to speak. The lump in my throat had gotten bigger. It was hard to fight the urge to just break down right there in his car. I had to stay calm for him. I couldn't let him know that what was really going on. He was safer in the dark.

"Thank you," I murmured when he pulled up in front of my house. I looked over at him to see that he was staring at me, his mouth pulled into a troubled frown. He reached out his hand to caress my cheek softly.

"I'm sorry for being so forward and commanding earlier. I just…I just wanted to make sure that you were alright," he told me.

"I appreciate that, Sonniku. I do but I'll be fine. I promise." Sonic leaned closer to kiss my forehead. I looked up into his soft, lime eyes. They burned into mine with an affection that words couldn't describe. I raised my hand to rest of his strong jaw.

"You know that I'm here for you…don't you? You can talk to me…I want you to talk to me about whatever's going on. I let you be there for me so now I want you to let me be there for you. Open up to me, Amy, please. I just want to help."

"I know that you do but you…you can't help me." Sonic's frown deepened as his eyes saddened. "I'm sorry," I whispered. I leaned in to kiss his lips softly. The kiss was a soft, moment-lasting peck but it was enough to bring tears to the edge of eyes. I couldn't let anything happen to Sonic. I loved him too much to let him get hurt.

"You're not…you're not breaking up with me are you," he asked.

"No," I told him quickly. "I'm sorry but I'm just…I just need some time to think right now."

"I understand." He leaned in to kiss my lips gently once more. "I'll check in on you tomorrow, okay?" I nodded. He kissed me again before letting me get out of the car. As soon as I closed my front door behind me, I sped up the steps to my room and dived into my bed. I buried my face into my pillow and for the first time in months: I cried.

**Review if you wish **


	16. Say It First

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 15: Say It First**

I didn't get much sleep that night. Between my tears, I couldn't find much time to figure out a way to even attempt to fall asleep. The tears just kept coming and didn't stop for hours. I tried to will myself to stop multiple times; I tried to convince myself that everything would work out if I just played my cards right. I didn't believe my mental statements though. I was so worried about Sonic and my family and what Kyle could do to them if I didn't comply with his orders. If I tried to trick him, everyone I loved would probably get hurt. I couldn't have that. I had to protect them somehow. I had to do what I had to do. I had to keep them safe – even if it cost me my own freedom.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...maybe Scourge wasn't all that bad. If he wanted me so badly then maybe he wouldn't hurt me. Maybe he wouldn't put me through whatever Hell he'd put Adrian through. Or he could put me through worse…

Whatever he had in store for me, I would be able to deal with it. I would have to. I couldn't let the people I love get hurt. Sure, I may be hurting myself in the process but it would be worth it. Then Adrian would be safe…my parents would be safe…Sonic would be safe. That was all that had to matter.

I wished that I knew exactly how much time I had to make my decision. Kyle had been awfully vague about when he would be collecting my decision. The thought of him popping out of thin air when I wasn't anywhere near knowing what I was going to do sent a shiver down my spine. He probably didn't tell me so that I would make up my mind faster. I'm sure he interpreted me like he did any other person who was in this situation: they would give themselves up to keep others safe. He knew that I would come willingly with him. He just didn't want to say it aloud. He wanted to make me squirm. He wanted to toy with me.

I must've gotten to sleep eventually since the soft sound of my room door creaking open woke me up. I didn't move from my position to see who it was.  
Instead I let the warm scent of my mother fill my nose, informing me of her presence. I listened to her footsteps as she skipped into my room and plopped down beside me on my bed. "You alright, sweetie," I heard her ask as her hand rubbed my shoulder.

"Yea," I murmured, though not in a very convincing tone. My mother tugged lightly on my shoulder so that I would roll over and she could see my tear stained face. Her mouth immediately turned into a deep frown as her hazel eyes scanned my solemn expression.

"Why are you crying? Did Sonic do something wrong?" I shook my head.

"I just had a bad dream," I told her. My mother rolled her eyes at me before stroking my hair.

"You're a terrible liar, sweetheart; you need to work on that." I almost smiled at her comment but my lips couldn't find the strength to do so. My mother tilted her head at me. "What's wrong?"

"It's…its Scourge. He…he sent…other vampires to come…collect me and before they were just bothersome but now…now they're threatening the people I love. They told me that if I didn't come willingly then they would do whatever it takes to make me give in…including hurting everyone I love." I shook my head as tears once again brimmed my eyes. "I can't let anything happen to you guys or to Adrian or to Sonic. I just…I just can't." My mother took a deep breath as she caressed my cheek.

"I know this is a hard decision to make. I know that you want to protect everyone but you have to keep in mind that we can fight against this. Richard and I are willing to do whatever we can to keep you and your brother safe and happy. We can keep your boyfriend safe as well if that's what you want. There are other alternatives besides giving yourself away. Remember that for me."

"I'll try," I told her. My mother leaned down to kiss my forehead before we heard a soft knock on my bedroom door. Sonic was standing in my doorway holding a heart shaped box of chocolates and a pink bag from my favorite store. My mother shot me a smile before she got up. She greeted Sonic as she made her way out the room. He returned her greeting with a soft smile and a nod. She closed the door behind her, leaving us alone in my room. I wiped at my face as he came closer.

"Hey," he told me. "You alright?" I nodded.

"I'm fine," I murmured. He set the box of chocolates and the bag on my bed as he perched down next to me. He raised his hand to gently wipe some of the last watery stains from my face. His light green eyes held a strong concern for me, his mouth set in a troubled frown.

"You know I don't believe that." I lowered my eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied simply. Sonic sighed. His hand cupped my chin to hold me still as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. I relaxed the slightest bit under his intimate touch, my mind slightly distracting by the soft texture of his lips. I tugged lightly on his arm. "Lay down with me," I murmured. Sonic obeyed to my soft request. He kicked off his shoes and crawled over me. He lay down on top of my covers before pulling me onto his chest. I wrapped my leg around his through my blankets as I wrapped my arms around his abdomen. His heart beat softly under my head in his chest, the sound both soothing and tempting. I closed my eyes as I tried to relax my body. Sonic's body felt good under mine. He was warm, firm, and smelled so good. My body fit perfectly against his as well, as if his chest was molded just for me to lay on.

One of his arms wrapped around my waist, his hand resting on my hip. His other hand stroked my hair slowly and oh so gently. Between his soft heartbeats and his caresses, I could feel my body relaxing even more. In fact, I was beginning to fall asleep on him. My body was tired from the lack of sleep it'd received. Sonic was helping to restore some of it. I did, actually, fall asleep on him although I didn't remember doing so. I just remember waking up on top of him, the sun now low in the sky. His gentle touch was now on my cheeks, trailing their way down to my lips. I felt him trace my lips before falling down to my jaw. "You awake," he asked as I leaned into his touch. I looked up at him to see he was staring down at me, his lime eyes filled with admiration. I blushed deeply under his gaze.

"I'm sorry," I told him. I began to sit up but he held me in my place. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's alright." He kissed my forehead. "I'm happy to know that I'm comfortable." I smiled. At the sight of my smile, his own lips tugged upwards into a small grin. "There's that beautiful smile of yours." I smiled wider as he leaned down to kiss me softly. The kiss only lasted a moment but it was enough to make my stomach feel warm and fuzzy. "Are you feeling better, kitten?" I shrugged.

"A little." Sonic frowned as he ran his hand through my hair.

"Are you sure that you don't want to talk about it?" I nodded. He tilted his head as his frown deepened. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You already are helping. You help me just by being here with me." He smiled the slightest bit before he leaned down to kiss me again. This kiss lasted longer than the first. This time Sonic took his time molding my lips with his. He even took the opportunity to explore my mouth with his tongue. Once his tongue got involved into our kisses, my head began to whirl. I pushed myself closer against him as my hands traveled up into his silky curls. He let out a soft purr as I lightly pushed his face closer to mine. Slowly, he began to roll us over so that he could hover over me. I didn't pay any mind to our position at first since my head was too busy working itself up about his kisses. However, I did notice when I felt his strong torso press up against mine. His lower abdomen and pelvis also pressed up against me – but not in a sexual way. He was just laying on me. But that was enough for my body to go into its little haywire thing with the images.

Before the vision could even surface, I pulled out of the kiss. I smiled up at Sonic to play off my actions in which he returned the smile. He pecked another kiss down at my lips before easing himself off of me. "You wanna watch a movie," he asked as he returned to his spot next to me. I nodded. I got up from my bed before turning to Sonic. He was stretched out on my bed, his long legs stretched apart but his arms set behind his head. His lime eyes were on me, a soft smile on his face.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink that I can get you while I'm downstairs?"

"A soda is fine. Some popcorn would be nice to. I don't have to work tonight if you wanted to make a night in out of this. We can watch that really weird movie trilogy about that girl who dates a millionaire but he's abusive that you were telling me about." I blushed.

"You remember that?" He nodded. "Okay. I'll be back with the soda, the popcorn and the movies."

"I'll be waiting." I smiled at him before making my way out the room. I shut the door behind me and began to pad downstairs. I was grateful that some of my funk from my confrontation with Kyle had been relieved. Yet, there was still a part of me that feared even more now for Sonic's safety. He was so fragile… I didn't even want to fathom the thought of Kyle putting his hands on him. If I did then I knew that I would break down and cry. Hopefully my mother was right when she said that we could fight this.

My brother was in the kitchen when I got there, sipping on a bottle of blood. I shot him a smile as I entered the room. He didn't return the smile. I tried to shake off his hard stare but he kept staring at me. As I moved around the kitchen to get the things together, I could feel his eyes on me. I actually began to feel annoyed. I had the feeling that he wanted to say something to me but didn't know how. Just as I had turned around to ask him what his problem was, he spoke. "You've got a month," he said. I raised my eyebrows.

"Excuse me," I asked him. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"A month. That's the maximum amount of time that Kyle's giving you." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"How did you know that? How did you about-"

"You're not the only one who can read minds, Ames. Besides, it's better that we both know what's going on. The time means that we can decide to get the hell out of here or try not to get ourselves killed."

"But Adrian, you don't understand. I don't think there is any way to run away from this. If I don't go with Kyle then he could hurt you or Amber or Richard or…or Sonic. And I can't have that."

"That doesn't mean that you have to give yourself up, Amy. I can't let anything happen to you again."

"No, Adrian, I can't let anything happen to you," I snapped back at him. "I'm your big sister. I'm supposed to be taking care of you and protecting you – something I haven't been doing for the past couple of years. I need to step up and take responsibility for what's going on. All of this is my fault anyway. If Scourge didn't love me then…"

"Then we'd both be dead," Adrian muttered bitterly. I looked down, unable to think of a counter comment. I knew Adrian was right. If Scourge hadn't loved me enough then he probably would've let me die. He would've let me stay in a vampire contaminated area and let some other vampire hold the decision of what do with me. More than likely, that choice would've been to kill me. My stomach took a dark churn at the thought. "I'm going to talk to Richard about this," Adrian told me. "Maybe…maybe we can take some precautions to help solve this problem. Just…whatever you do: do not go with him, understand?" I nodded. Adrian walked up to me and gave me a soft hug. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you too," I told him. He let me go before walking out of the room. As he did so, the microwave began to beep. The sound caused me to flinch. I had forgotten about my boyfriend upstairs and the fact that we were about to have a movie night. I finished preparing our snacks before grabbing the boxed movies and heading upstairs.

Sonic was still laying on my bed, but now one of my novels was in his hand. He was flipping through the pages aimlessly, his eyes scanning the words on the pages. However they looked up as I walked into the room. "Everything okay," he asked. I smiled at him.

"Yea. Everything's fine." He got up from his place on the bed to take some of the things out of my hand. He took the food and set it down atop the chest at the end of my bed. As he did so, I went to take out the first DVD and pop it into my DVD player. I set up the TV, listening to Sonic's munches on the popcorn. They stopped suddenly as the main menu for the movie popped up.

"Oh hell no," he said. I turned my head to look at me with crinkled eyebrows. He was giving the television a strange look, his eyes holding this odd gaze.

"What's wrong," I asked. His beautiful eyes flicked to me.

"We are not watching Fifty Shades of Grey."

"Why not?" I asked innocently.

"Do you not know what this movie is about?"

"Not really. I haven't gotten around to reading the books yet." Sonic shook his head.

"_Dios mios, chica. _We need to get you a cultural handbook. This movie is about…you know what; I'm not even going to go there. You'll see." I was still confused but followed through with turning on the movie. I lay down next to Sonic and began to munch on the popcorn. I was in for a surprise when I actually did see what the movie was about however. The situation didn't exactly help when I realized that my mother owned the unrated version. My cheeks were redder than a tomato from embarrassment as we watched the movie. While I admit that the realistically romantic parts of the movie were cute, the rest was a bit…surprising. I was not expecting what I saw. When my mother had told me about it, she just explained that it was a good love story and such. She didn't mention everything that revolved around that love story. I was so embarrassed to be sitting there watching it with Sonic. We weren't even close to what the people in the movie were doing and we'd known each other much longer. Although, I did learn a thing or two about how weird people can be.

At the end of the movie, though, I was hooked onto their story. I wanted to see what was going to happen next. I glanced at Sonic to see that he was staring blankly at the credits as they rolled onto the screen. "You wanna watch the next one, don't you?" He asked without looking at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know that?"

"It's just one of those endings where you can't help but to wanna see how everything turns out." I smiled.

"So you don't mind watching the next two?"

"Nope. Just as long as you're…comfortable." I blushed.

"I'm fine." I got up to turn on the sequel. Sonic and I did end up watching all three of the movies. While I probably got a bit more into them than I wanted to, Sonic seemed uninterested in the movies. Instead he turned his attention to me. Sometime during the middle of the second movie, he began to peck kisses around my neck and shoulders. I blushed under his kisses but paid him no mind. He only did that for a short while before playing with my hair. Then he got bored of that and alternated back and forth between watching me and watching the movie.

When the last movie ended, I couldn't help but to go on a small rant about what had gone on. Sonic listened tentatively to me, his lime eyes growing with even more admiration than before. I tried hard not to blush under has gaze but I couldn't help it. He was just so…intimidating – in a good way. By the time I was through talking, it was about 12 o' clock at night and he had to leave. I didn't want him to go but he assured me that he would call me the next day. Then he gave me a soft kiss and disappeared off into the night in his car. I watched him go, following his unreadable buzzing thoughts until I couldn't hear them anymore.

The rest of the week was uneventful, I guess. There was no sign of Kyle or any of his other Bana comrades. Adrian was a bit on edge but I was getting used to that. He was always on edge in some way, shape, or form. That was just Adrian. However, I could feel some tension coming from Sonic. I wasn't sure why but he always seemed to be in some type of bad, alerted mood. I'd tried to speak to Cream about it but she always shrugged me off and told me that Sonic was just "having one of his days." I was starting to figure out that she was lying. He was having one of his days every single day that week. I doubted his attitude could last for that long. Sure, he'd always tried to hide it around me but I saw through the mask. I would think that he knew that I could.

Early the next Saturday morning, Sonic called me. I was in a deep sleep when my phone began ringing with the sweet lyrics of some love song that I'd set as his ringtone. I forced myself to move to grab my cell phone before answering the phone sleepily. "Hey kitten," Sonic replied. His sleepy voice was active, telling me that he'd just gotten up as well – or someone had woken him up. "I'm sorry for calling so early in the morning but I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner later."

"Sure. What time are you going to pick me up?"

"Around seven. Um…actually, we're going to dinner with my father."

"Your father," I asked in surprise.

"Yea," he answered dryly. "He wants to meet you."

"Really? Okay. I'll be ready at six then."

"Okay. See you then, kitten." After he hung up, I let my head fall back down into my pillow. A small smile arose on my face as I realized that he must've told his father something about me in order for him to want to meet me. This meant a lot to me due to the fact that he and his father weren't exactly close. Maybe I meant that much to him that he wanted to share with his father our relationship. I was meeting one of his parents…we were making major progress.

Around 6 o' clock later that day, I began to get ready for our dinner date. I took a shower before getting dressed in the dress Sonic had gotten me the weekend before. It was a soft coral color with a fitted short sleeved top with a flirty skater skirt. I paired the dress with a pair of wedges. I straightened my hair and let it fall down my back but in a neat, presentable way. I also dabbed on some mascara, light eyeshadow, and lip stick. I was trying to look as presentable as possible for Sonic's father. I didn't want him to look at me and assume that I was like Sally. It wasn't that she was a bad girl or anything; she just didn't dress…modestly a good deal of the time. I was determined to show his father that I was eligible to date his son and be a good fit for him. I was determined to get his approval.

I was sitting outside on my porch when Sonic's Camaro rolled down my street. I quickly hopped up to walk over to his car. Sonic got out of the car and walked around to meet me. I raised an eyebrow at his more formal attire of a fitted black button up shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. He looked good – very good. "Am I underdressed," I asked as he gave me a hug.

"No. You look beautiful; you always look beautiful," he told me. I blushed as he leaned down to offer me a soft kiss. As our lips met, I could smell the faint smell of cologne and his body wash. God, he smelled so good. I could only press myself closer against him as we kissed to get an even stronger whiff of his sweet scent.

"Someone really stepped up their dress game," I murmured against his lips. "Are you trying to impress someone?"

"Just you, kitten." I giggled as he kissed my lips softly for another moment. When he pulled away, he led me to the passenger seat where he opened the door for me. I curtsied playfully for him before getting into the car. He smiled at my silly action as he shut the door. He drove downtown to a fancy restaurant near the shopping strip of town. The restaurant was jet black on the outside with subtly flashing cursive letters and had a line going out the door with people waiting. I stared in curiosity at the nicely dressed females with their boyfriends who were also dressed their best. I tugged unsurely on the skirt of my dress. "Stop it," Sonic scolded me. I looked over at him to see that he was continually glancing at me out the corner of his eyes. "You look beautiful." I blushed.

"Thank you," I murmured. He pulled into a parking space in the parking lot. Once the car was settled in the spot, he leaned over to kiss my cheek. I blushed deeper under his kiss causing him to smirk. He kissed my cheek once more before getting out the car. He quickly jogged around to my side of the car to open the door for me. He helped me out the car and led me to the sidewalk. The weather was beginning to get warmer due to the springtime arriving. Usually it was really warm during the day but since it was night, it was a lot cooler. I liked the soft nighttime breeze. It felt good as it blew through my hair and kissed my bare arms with its coolness. Sonic led me past the line of people waiting, earning us a few side scowls, and into the restaurant. Immediately I was hit by the sweet smell of Italian food, a sweet scent but filled with seasonings. The restaurant was deeply dim lit, almost completely covered by darkness, with soft blue lights and small intimate tables and booths. Couples occupied those seats, talking and eating quietly. All of them looked happy although I noticed one guy who looked a bit nervous. His girlfriend was chattering on about something in which he held a nervous grin. Out of curiosity, I pushed myself into his mind.

The first thing I saw was an image of him buying a diamond ring. The second was an image of him offering the ring to the beautiful girl sitting across from him and her face lighting up with joy as she agreed to his proposal.

The images brought a soft smile on my face.

"Amy," Sonic said as he grabbed my hand. I snapped out of my gaze on the nervous man to turn to my boyfriend. Both he and the host were staring at me with expectant gazes. I blushed deeply from embarrassment.

"Sorry," I murmured. Sonic pulled me close to him as the host told us to follow him. He kept me close to him as we walked to the back of the restaurant. Sitting by himself at a lone, circular booth was a handsome, middle aged man with dark blue hair, dark caramel colored skin, and a small mustache. His jawline was tight, defined while his cheekbones were high and seemed to emphasize his elegant cheeks. His eyes were so dark that they shined near a black color to my sensitive eyes. They were housed in small, slightly slanted eye slits. He was dressed in a black suit with a blue tie. As he stood up to greet us, I noticed his tall stature and underlying muscular build. He didn't look much like Sonic at all besides the similar facial and body bone structure.

"_Mijo_," he said with a smile as Sonic and I approached him. Sonic's mouth tightened as his father stepped closer. To my surprise, his father openly gave his son a hug. "_Cómo estás? No me llama durante mi viaje." _His voice was similar to Javier's; it was very deep with a strong accent yet also velvety and smooth.

"_Yo no sabía que tenía que llamarle. Nunca me pidió que antes_," Sonic replied back bitterly. I was surprised at how sharply he'd said it though I guess I shouldn't have been. He'd warned me before about his strained relationship with his father. Besides he probably didn't think I knew what he was saying. Boy, was he wrong. I could speak Spanish very fluently. My parents had made me learn it back when they were still "homeschooling" me.

His father pulled out of the hug that Sonic hadn't returned. His smile had faltered but he was trying to keep it on his face. He turned his dark eyes to me and the smile became new again. "You must be Amy," his father said. I nodded, shooting him a smile. He held out his hand that I shook. "I'm Jules, Sonic's father. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Rodriguez," I told him. Jules grinned at his son.

"Very polite, this one," he commented.

"Mhmm," Sonic said simply. He lightly tugged at my waist towards the other end of the booth. I sat down and scooted over to make room for him. Jules sat down with us and grinned between the two of us. I noticed a tall glass of wine sitting next to him. It was obvious he wasn't drunk but it did seem as though he'd had a long business trip.

"So, Amy," Jules said since Sonic didn't make any effort to speak. "How did you and Sonic meet?"

"We go to school together. I sit in front of him in math class."

"Did you guys hit it off right away?" I let my lips pull up into a smile.

"No. Not at all," I said as the memory of how rude he used to be to me. While we may be past that now, I was beginning to realize that he was a major jerk to me. It was surprising how far we'd come from him telling me off to him telling me I looked beautiful. I guess miracles really could happen.

"He's a tough cookie, isn't he," Jules teased as he took a sip of his wine. Sonic rolled his eyes as he leaned back in the seat and crossed his arms. His mouth was set in a frown and I could see the hard mask in front of his eyes once more. I was used to seeing it in front of other people but I didn't think it would be up in front of his father. Was he really that bad after his mother was killed that Sonic cut him off completely? Or was it all just a result of his own trauma? He did say that he had to take control of the situation in a way. I wondered then how badly traumatized he was. How bad was his mind scarred?

"Very much so."

"Are you from around here?"

"Yes. I grew up on the other side of town actually. I moved my eighth grade year. I had a…a really bad accident that resulted in a loss of my memory." Jules' eyes shot up in surprise.

"Really," he asked, astonished. I blushed at his now curious, wide eyed gaze on me.

"Yes. I don't remember much of anything before the accident."

"Was it a car accident?"

"Yes. Only my brother and I survived. We live with friends of my parents now."

"_Lo siento, chica." _

"Thank you."

"Do you know what kind of amnesia you have? Have you been able to recover even little bits and pieces of your memory?"

"Yes, actually. My memories usually come back in flashes when something reminds my mind of them. Usually they come at very random times when I'm least expecting them. They scared me at first but I'm opening up to them."

"Good, good. Did your brother have this same type of amnesia?"

"No. He remembers everything, actually. We had very different injuries." Jules nodded. He opened his mouth to ask another question but Sonic intervened.

"Don't make her relive the accident," he told his father. "She probably doesn't even remember it." I looked at him to see that he had an annoyed scowl angled towards his father. I opened my mouth to tell both of them that I do remember it but Sonic flicked his lime eyes towards me. The look on his face told me to keep my mouth shut so I did just that. Before an awkward silence could surface, a waiter came over to take Sonic and I's drink orders and the food orders. Once he was gone, his father smiled at me.

"Is your brother younger or older?"

"Younger. He's 15 and…something else, that's for sure." Jules laughed.

"Trust me, I understand. Just take a look at your boyfriend." I giggled.

"I wonder whose fault it is why I'm that way," Sonic muttered bitterly. I lightly tapped his leg with the back of my hand. He ignored me. He didn't even glance at me. Instead he kept his eyes anywhere but on his father and I.

"So, Sonic, you've been quiet. How have you been? How is school going?"

"I'm fine and school is fine," Sonic replied simply. He reluctantly turned his eyes to his father. "How was your…business trip?"

"It was good. I visited your great-grandfather while I was down in Mexico. He misses you. I tried to call you so that he could talk to you but you wouldn't answer my calls."

"I was busy," Sonic replied dryly.

"You know, he doesn't have much longer, Sonic. He would like to see you. Maybe sometime this summer we can make a trip down there and you can spend some time with him. Maybe we can even go to that old soccer field and kick around a little bit like we used to when you were little."

"It was a basketball court, dad. It wasn't a soccer field."

"Well, it's a soccer field now. A really big soccer field. You'd like it. The grass is so green and there's such a big open space. There's all these little kids who come up there with their fathers…you'd like it."Sonic shrugged. "Did you know Raquel is getting married soon? She invited us to the wedding. She told me that she'd really like for you to come. She and the rest of the family haven't seen much of you in the past few years. Raquel says that she wanted to see how puberty treated you."

"She told me," Sonic replied. "I told her that I would think about coming."

"Oh you're going alright, even if I have to get Amy here to drag you." Jules turned to me and smiled. "You should come as well. I'm sure our family would love to meet the girl who Sonic talks so much about." Sonic rolled his eyes.

"You're acting like I talk to you about it," he said. "I only told Eddie and Maurice because they kept bugging me about it. Then once one family hears something, the news spreads like wildfire. Aunt Dani practically threw a party when she heard I dumped Sally."

"Yes, well, either way, they'd all like to meet her."

"I'd like to go," I piped up. Sonic looked to me with an eyebrow raised. I smiled nervously at him. "It'd be fun," I told him. He shrugged his shoulders in response but said nothing more. His father smiled at me.

"That's great that you're coming. I can't wait to let the rest of the family know. Let's just hope my sister doesn't start planning you guys' wedding."

"Yea because it'd be way too fast, wouldn't it; sounds like a familiar story," Sonic said. The comment struck a nerve in his father. His smile immediately fell and I could see a flash of the hard mask Sonic carried on his face. I tried to peek into his mind but, like Sonic, his was blocked. I think I knew why he had reacted the way he did though. Sonic had mentioned that his father remarried not too long after his mother passed away. He was using that as a comparison to him breaking up with Sally and getting with me. I wanted to hit him for throwing back such a cruel comment. Sure his father may not have been the best in the past but I could see now that he was trying to restore things. He was only trying to make things better…Sonic just wouldn't let him.

His father shot Sonic a deadly look, one that only lasted for a moment, in which I thought he might've jumped right over the table and punched Sonic right then and there. The expression scared me though Sonic's lips seemed to have tugged slightly upward. For a split second, he seemed proud that he'd broken down his father's smile and gotten a small reaction out of him. But why?

His father recomposed himself rather quickly though. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. His phone, that I hadn't noticed was lying face down on the table, began to ring. He quickly picked it up and held it to his ear. He began to talk quickly, getting up from the table and making his way outside. Sonic's lime eyes watched his father go.

"You don't have to be so mean," I told him. Sonic sighed as he turned his gaze to me. "He's just trying to be nice; he's trying to make an effort. You don't have to keep shooting him down. I'm sure he feels guilty enough for not being there for you when he needed you."

"I'm sure he doesn't give two damns about what happened in the past or what happens to me in the future. He's just putting on that act to impress you and look like a good father."

"Well if it's an act then it's very good."

"Yes, he's a very good actor isn't he?" I frowned.

"Why do you hate him so much, Sonic?" Sonic held my gaze for a moment before looking away. "Why won't you just give him a chance? Maybe he wants to make up for his mistakes; maybe this isn't all just an act. What if he's really trying?"

"If he was really trying then he wouldn't be putting on this charade like he's happy with life. The Jules I know and live with isn't the man you've been sitting here talking to. That man is a stranger to me and he knows it. When he starts acting like the father I know then maybe I'll think about making up with him."

"And what's the father you know?"

"Imagine me: quiet, observant, hard-headed, and pissed off a good half of the time. I may have my mother's face but on the inside I'm all him. Sometimes he fails to forget that when he puts his mask up."

"Maybe you should let him know about how you're feeling about-"

"No," Sonic snapped. "I'm not talking to him about shit." His voice had gone to a cold, hard level – one that I'd never heard before…and one that scared me. "He knows that I hate him and I know somewhere inside him, he hates me too. He blames me for my mother's death. He won't ever admit it but I know that he does."

"But it wasn't your fault."

"Partially it was," he murmured. "I was the one who wanted to see my uncle so badly. I was the one who begged for him to come visit. I'm the reason he was in our house. If I hadn't begged him to visit then maybe…maybe my mother would be sitting here with us as well as my father." I grabbed his hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"You can't blame yourself, Sonic." Sonic glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. He didn't respond so I gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. He let out another soft sigh as he wrapped his arm around me. He pulled me close against him and kissed my temple.

His father returned to the table, smiling softly at our position. "Sorry about that. So, Amy, what are you thinking of going to college for? Did you start taking tours yet?"

"Not yet but I want to study nursing," I replied. His father nodded.

"That's a fantastic profession. Did Sonic tell you about his criminal obsession?" I smiled.

"Yes, yes he did."

The rest of the night was actually pretty smooth. Sonic lightened up on his rude comments but he did make sure to throw in one here and there. At one point, I really thought his father was ready to punch him but he kept himself composed. I was sure that Sonic was probably going to hear it when he got home though. While I still questioned the reason as to why he was being such a jerk, I let the situation go. If he wanted to act like this to his father then that was his problem. I had given him my two cents; he would have to make up his mind on what he wanted to do with their relationship.

I liked his father though. While I could see his jovial mask falling as he got comfortable with me, I still thought he was a cool guy. He was very thoughtful, smart, and a bit funny at times. It turned out that he worked in international relations for a big corporate company which was why he traveled so much. I caught on to the idea that he and Sonic had some money attached to their names. Their family was actually pretty wealthy, I concluded, due to the high titles all of them had at their workplaces. Jules had big plans for his son, hoping that he would pursue a career in criminal law and become a lawyer. He wanted him to be just as successful as he was. It was cute, seeing a father care so much for his son. It was hard to believe that Sonic thought he hated him but then again I didn't live with him. I didn't know how Jules acted towards him behind closed doors. However, judging from Sonic's standoffish attitude, I could guess that it may not have been the best.

After sparing his father a farewell and a promise to see him at the wedding in two weeks, Sonic drove me home. We didn't talk much on the ride, Sonic's tension rubbing off on me. I longed to ease his negative feelings towards his father but I wasn't quite sure how. It was obvious that it was a touchy subject and that I had to be cautious with the topic. I didn't want to come off the wrong way with him and unintentionally upset him. So, I just let him be and let the radio fill the silence in the car.

Sonic walked me up to the front door once we arrived to my house. He pulled me into a tight hug, his alluring scent bombarding my nose. I returned the hug, snuggling my head into his shoulder. I smiled up at him as he began to pull away. He offered a small smile in return before leaning down to kiss my lips softly.

"Goodnight Amy," he murmured against my lips.

"Goodnight Sonic." He pressed his lips against mine once more before pulling away completely. He shot me another smile before walking off to his car. I watched him go before retreating into my own house. It wasn't until I was in my pajamas and laying in bed that I realized what was happening. I had met his father…and I was about to meet a huge chunk of his family. Oh… Sonic was bringing me around his family… Usually in my books, meeting the family was a big step in a relationship. It was one of the landmarks, actually. I could only blush deeply at the thought of Sonic and I's relationship going much farther. I cuddled into my blankets as my stomach fluttered softly in my stomach. What if he loved me?

I knew I loved him but did he love me back? Did he really feel the same way about me as I did him? My heart fluttered as I imagined his voice telling me the three words that I wanted to hear. God, I was such a hopeless romantic. I tried to scold myself out of wanting to believe that he did but my stupid self couldn't help it. I loved him and all I wanted was for him to love me too.

**Review if you wish **


	17. Mi Familia

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 16: Mi Familia**

I didn't suspect that it would take long before I would be getting dragged to the mall to get the perfect dress for Sonic's cousin's wedding. When I had told Blaze the Sunday after going out with Sonic and his father, she seemed indifferent about me meeting his family. Yet, when I told her that I was going to need an outfit, she jumped into action. Over the next week, she contemplated different styles that both Cream and I could look for in dresses for the occasion. Since it was a spring wedding, Blaze suggested that we wear soft but bright colors and maybe some spaghetti straps or halter tops. I had never heard her babble on so much about clothes before. While I did enjoy it, I couldn't help but think that she may have been overthinking it a bit. To my surprise, she even asked Sonic about what might be appropriate for me to wear to meet his family. He had shrugged and told her that as long as I was fully covered up then I would be fine. Blaze had rolled her eyes at him and told him that he wasn't much help.

"Hey, she always looks beautiful to me," he told her as he kissed my cheek. Blaze rolled her eyes again at us but went back to her brainstorming.

That Friday before the wedding, Blaze took both me and Cream to the mall after school. We had gotten out early because of some holiday or something; I wasn't completely sure the reason. I just knew that it gave us time to take our time and look around. Blaze dragged us through multiple store as Cream and I searched for something that fit our suitable tastes. We failed to find anything through the first couple of stores but when we entered one of my favorites, I had some confidence that I would find something. Sadly though, Blaze got a phone call just as we entered the store. I frowned at her as she looked down at her phone. Immediately the soft smile that was on her face drooped and her eyes saddened. "I have to take this," she said before walking out the store. I watched her go, tilting my head at her sudden actions.

"Sonic must really like you," Cream commented from beside me. I looked to her to see that she was smiling softly at me. "It's only been a few months and you're already being introduced to his family clan."

"Is his family really that big?"

"Oh yea. He's Mexican; they have big families. His dad has like four other siblings and his mom had like six siblings. Then his grandparents' siblings and then their children and all of his cousins. It's a lot of them."

"Are they…are they nice?" Cream nodded.

"Yea. The girls in his family are really sweet."

"And the boys?" Cream sighed.

"Well that depends. Some of them are just as introverted and subtly annoying as Sonic is while others are loud and outgoing and annoying in a totally different way. But to dumb it all down, they all can be kind of annoying. Except for his baby cousins, they're adorable."

"Maybe because their annoying personalities haven't visibly surfaced yet."

"Ugh, I don't even want to think about them growing up." I giggled.

"Do you have a big family?"

"Yea, but they're all…Irish." She giggled. "They're definitely a life of a party when you get around them. How about you? Do you have a big family outside your intermediate family?"

"Not really," I said sadly. My stomach clenched as I saw a flash of a younger me running alongside with some other girls my age. We were laughing, the high pitched sounds filling my ears. I sighed as I pushed the vision away.

"This is pretty," Cream said as she picked up a soft lavender dress. The dress was fitted at the top with a sophisticated halter style with a white built in ribbon wrapped around the waist where the skirt fell into soft waves. The dress actually was really pretty. I fell in love it just by the way it looked in Cream's hands. She smiled at me. "This would look perfect on you. Do you wanna try it on?" I nodded. She handed it to me and I immediately headed to the dressing room. Cream followed me.

I quickly undressed and threw on the beautiful dress. It fit perfectly on me since Cream had picked up my right size. The dress emphasized the curves of my breasts and hips but in a nice, conservative way. The dress clung to them but since everything was covered, it created a totally different look. I looked…kinda fancy. I smiled at myself in the mirror. The beautiful girl I was now used to seeing returned the smile, practically glowing with excitement.

"You are a genius," I told Cream as I walked out the dressing room to show her how it looked. Blaze had joined her by then and smiled along with her.

"Wow, Cream, you really are a genius. That dress looks absolutely perfect on her," Blaze agreed. Cream blushed and shrugged her shoulders.

"It's just what I do."

"Now we have to find you the perfect dress," I told our friend.

"Oh I already have a dress. I just wanted to come shopping with you guys." Blaze threw her arms around the other girl.

"Aw, you are too adorable, you know that." Emily shrugged.

"Sometimes; it depends on what time of day it is." We both laughed at her.

I did end up buying the dress which was surprisingly pretty cheap. Then we all ate some Chinese food in the food court before heading on home. Blaze knew that Cream and I had a busy day the next day so she wanted to get us home as early as she could. I was home well before 7 o' clock. However, I was surprised to see Sonic's motorcycle sitting in my driveway. I raised my eyebrows at the sight. I wasn't expecting him to come over. Blaze also raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. I bid her a goodbye before heading into the house. The first thing I heard was both Adrian and Sonic yelling. I almost sped into the living room until I realized that it was a lighthearted yell. That confused me. Adrian didn't like Sonic.

I slowly crept up to the living room to see the two sitting on the couch with video game controllers in their hands. On the television was some football oriented video game in which it seemed they were playing each other. I watched as they went through another play and one of the players tackled another. Adrian groaned. "Come on, Sonic, you're killing me here," he told my boyfriend.

"Hey, I said I was going to go easy on you; I never said I was going to let you win," Sonic replied. I smiled at the two of them. They looked so cute sitting there together, getting along. As far as I knew, Sonic was an only child. He never mentioned having brothers or sisters – besides Cream being his step-sister. But that wasn't the same as having a brother. Adrian didn't have a brother either. He just had me. Maybe me dating Sonic would be a good thing. Maybe he'd be the good big brother figure for Adrian that I couldn't be.

"Having fun," I asked as I walked into the room.

"No. Your boyfriend is kicking my ass," Adrian said. Sonic chuckled.

"Hey, you were doing pretty good in the beginning," he said. My brother rolled his eyes.

"Yea, whatever. Ames is here now which means I can go about my business." He paused the game to turn it off. He got up from his seat and stretched. "Don't have too much fun kids," he told us as he walked out the room. I blushed as Adrian wiggled his eyebrows at me.

Sonic got up from his seat as well and stretched out his back. He smiled at me as I walked up to him. "Hey beautiful," he told me as he wrapped me up in his arms for a hug.

"Hi," I murmured into his chest. I snuggled into his warm body, his distinct scent filling my nose. The scent was familiar to me now and sent butterflies to my stomach. I couldn't help but to inhale him in and experience the subtle feeling of home that radiated off of him. He kissed the crown of my head as his arms tightened around me to. "What are you doing here," I asked as I looked up at him.

"I wanted to see you before the wedding. I wanted to make sure you cared about me enough not to run for the hills after you meet my family." I smiled up at him. "So, I thought in order to keep you interested in me: I could maybe teach you how to dance – formally." I raised my eyebrows.

"You know how to dance," I asked in surprise.

"Yes. But judging from your moves that I've seen you make, you might lack a bit of that knowledge." I lightly hit his shoulder as a grin came upon his face. "You might want to put some heels on for this." I raised my eyebrows a bit higher at his request but I did obey. I ran upstairs to my room and first hung my new dress up. Then I dug through my closet to find a pair of strappy heels and threw those on. I managed to walk gracefully down the steps and back to the living room where Sonic was waiting for me.

"Let's start with the waltz first," he told me. He put his hands on my waist and gently tugged me closer to him. I blushed as his lime eyes stared down into mine. "You put this hand here," he told me as he put one of my hands on his shoulder. One of his went down to rest on my hip. The other held my free hand in his. "Stay just like this." I nodded. He took one step forward causing me to take a step back unconsciously. Sonic smiled. "Good girl." He continued with his steps, leading us into a slow, romantic dance. I followed his lead as he spun me a few times and guided me with his steps.

"You wanna try it with music now," he asked after a while. I nodded, shooting him an enthusiastic smile. He returned it with a grin before letting me go. He dug his phone out of his pocket and put on some slow song that I recognized from a Disney movie. In the actual movie, they were actually waltzing to the song. I blushed at how cute I thought that was. Sonic could be so romantic when he wanted to be…so sweet.

He pulled me to him once more and this time guided me to the soft rhythm of the song. We danced through the whole song, grinning at each other. I would admit that I was having fun. His dancing skills were far more superior than I had expected. Plus he just looked plain ol' adorable while he was doing it.

After teaching how to waltz, Sonic went on to teach me how to tango and eventually salsa. Both of those dances were harder for me to learn, especially since I wasn't graced with great ability to move my hips like a gypsy. Sure, I could move them to a club song but that wasn't the same. From the way Sonic had demonstrated using his own, naturally Hispanic hips, the movement was a lot faster and more sensual. He helped ease me into the movement though. He had firmly put his hands on my hips and guided them to move in the way they needed to. As he did so, I once again felt the sensual tension that had taken a short absence arise once more. I tried hard to ignore it but it was very hard not to. Not when he was so close and smelled so good…

Eventually, I did get the hang of both of the other dances he'd taught me. I practically wore the both of us out though since I wanted to keep practicing. Formal dancing was just so fun. I couldn't wait for the chance when Sonic and I would actually be able to show off our new moves. That would definitely be fun.

By the end of the night, we were laying on the couch, exhausted from our mini workout. I was laying on top of Sonic with one of his arms wrapped around my waist while the other lay behind his head. My head was above his chest, his rhythmic heartbeat sounding in my ears. I was tempted to fall asleep on him right then and there but I knew that he was going to have to leave soon. He had to get up a bit earlier than I did to get dressed for the wedding and such. I didn't want him to go though. I wanted him to stay there with me. He was so comfortable and warm; he was like the perfect human pillow. That may sound strange but that's exactly what he felt like in my eyes.

"You falling asleep on me, kitten," he asked.

"I'm trying not to," I replied. He chuckled, the sound booming a bit deeper in my ears.

"Same here. Maybe one night I can…I can sleep over or you can sleep over my house. That's if…if you feel comfortable doing that. We don't have to do anything…we can just…sleep." I blushed.

"Okay. That sounds good to me." Sonic kissed my forehead.

"Good." He lifted his arm off of me to check his watch. I frowned as he let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, mamas, but I have to go." I lifted my head up so that it could hover over his. His lime eyes stared up at me, filled with admiration and care. His hand lifted to cup the side of my face. His thumb caressed my cheek before he gently tugged my face down to his. Our lips brushed the slightest bit before I leaned down completely so our lips would crash together. His lips were soft, sweet, and gentle as they slowly moved with mine. My mind began to spin in circles as his tongue flicked at my lips. I granted him access to my mouth leaning down closer as our kisses deepened. He let out a soft moan as his hand skimmed down my arm to my hip. He firmly grabbed it before pushing it closer against his. A moan of my own escaped my lips as the foreign contact of our lower bodies sent shivers through my body. I lowered myself more against him until my whole body was pressed against him. Sonic's hand that had rested on my hip now rose again to the hem of my shirt. He tugged gently at it until he moved his hand slowly under my shirt to feel my smooth skin. The contact sent fiery tingles to my skin but I didn't have time to bask in it. A moment after he'd touched me, I felt another vision blurring against my closed eyelids. I silently cursed myself before I pulled out of our passionate kiss.

Sonic smiled up at me before kissing my lips softly. "I love your kisses," he murmured against my lips. I blushed deeply at how…sexy he'd sounded. His voice had lowered and his accent basically dominated his voice. The sound was husky but smooth at the same time. I wanted him to do it again.

"I love yours too," I whispered back. He pressed his lips against mine once more for another moment before pulling away. "I have a question."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Where did you learn all those dances from?"

"My mom taught me," he replied as a nostalgic smile came upon his lips. "We used to dance around the kitchen together on Sunday mornings and she would show me how to dance. She always used to tell me that it would help me find a wife someday. She couldn't wait for the day I got married. She wanted me and my bride to do the waltz her and my father had done at their wedding. It's a slow, romantic dance. It's…it's the one I taught you." I raised my eyebrows. He smiled. "I thought maybe…maybe we could go far, Amy." A soft smile came across my lips.

"I think we can." His smile grew as he leaned up to kiss my lips again. We didn't get to kiss for too long before his phone began to ring. He had groaned and reluctantly let me go. He didn't answer the phone but he knew it was his father calling to see where he was. I walked him to the door and kissed him in the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow," I promised him against his lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he repeated. He kissed my forehead after he pulled away. I reluctantly let his hand go as he opened the front door. I watched him walk to his motorcycle and get situated on it. I continued to watch him put his helmet on and then drive out of my sight. The simple words of "I love you" rang through my head as I watched him go, longing to come out of my mouth. I couldn't tell him though. Not yet.

The next morning, I was eager to get up. While Sonic wasn't picking me up until around three in the afternoon, I was still excited to get ready. I passed the morning hours by reading one of my new books and filling myself up on blood. While I hadn't been having a problem controlling my thirst around huge crowds of humans, I wanted to be sure that I was full. I wanted to be on my best behavior around his family. I needed them to like me.

Around one o' clock, I finally began to get ready. I first took a long, hot shower and washed my hair. Then I threw on my fleece robe and began to wrestle with my hair. First, I brushed out my tangles until they fell into pretty auburn waterfalls. Then, I curled my hair into soft, bouncy curls that I left hanging down over my shoulders.

Once my hair was in order, I put on some makeup. I tried to go with a natural, glowing look with neutral eyeshadows and soft pink lip stick. Then, I finally put on my dress. I was happy to see that it still fit as perfectly as it did when I had first brought it. I paired the dress with a pair of my high white wedges. I also spritzed on a dose of some sweet smelling perfume.

I was checking myself in the mirror when Sonic finally knocked on the door. I hurried down the stairs to open the door for him. My eyes almost bulged out of my head at the sight of him. My boyfriend was dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt with the top couple of buttons open. He was also wearing a lavender tie along with the suit to match my dress. His curls seemed to have been cut down but they were brushed so well that they were now soft waves that were pushed back away from his face. "Wow," I unintentionally said aloud.

"Wow yourself," Sonic replied as his light green eyes looked me over. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close against him. I blushed as he leaned down to kiss my lips. "You look beautiful," he murmured against our kisses.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." Sonic rolled his eyes causing me to giggle. He waited downstairs for a moment while I ran upstairs to grab my purse and tell Adrian that I was leaving. Then, we were on our way.

That Saturday afternoon was sunny, warm, and absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining, the plants were blooming, and the soft breeze moderated the heat. Sonic and I rolled both of our windows all the way down, the wind blowing my hair everywhere. I enjoyed the wind though. I lay back in my seat, closed my eyes, and basked in the feeling of freedom that it gave me. Ever since we'd moved to Orlando, I hadn't experimented much with my vampire abilities. Other than my mind reading, there was nothing else that was discreet. I was a bit afraid to even mess with my purple bolts and I didn't know what other powers there were to unlock. Adrian and my father did go out to practice their own but I never joined them. I always wanted to go shopping with Blaze or read a book or spend time with my mother or hang out with Sonic. I didn't want to be reminded that I was a vampire. I liked being as normal as I possibly could.

The wedding was being held at a big cathedral at the edge of town. It took Sonic and I about an hour to get down there but it was worth it. The cathedral was absolutely beautiful. It was tall with three gold sharp pillars on the top with a graceful arch and big double doors. There were tons of other cars lingering around in the parking lot causing me to get a bit nervous. "You promise you won't run for the hills," Sonic teased as he grabbed my hand. I shot him a smile as I squeezed his hand.

"I promise." He grinned and leaned over to kiss my cheek. He helped me out of the car and led me into the cathedral. Inside was a ton of people. Literally, there had to be over a hundred people socializing in the huge lobby of the cathedral. I leaned closer to Sonic as he looked around. His eyes must've caught what they were looking for since he began to tug me off into a certain direction. I followed him up to where his father was standing along with a beautiful blonde-haired woman who looked just like Cream. They were talking to another couple – a man who looked like Sonic's father and a beautiful Latino women with curly red hair, red pouty lips, and big brown eyes. Jules turned his eyes to his son and smiled.

"Ah, mijo, it's about time you got here," he said. He then looked to me. "Amy, how nice it is to see you that you came. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Same to you, Mr. Rodriguez," I replied politely.

"Amy, this is my wife, Annabelle, Cream's mother." He motioned to the woman he had his arm around. Annabelle smiled at me.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Amy. Both Cream and Sonic speak very highly of you," she said, her voice unnaturally soft. She held out her hand as she spoke in which I shook it.

"Same to you, Mrs. Rodriguez." Sonic grunted slightly under his breath at my title for her. I gave his hand a tight squeeze that held the silent message of "Be nice" attached to it.

"This is my brother, Diego and his wife, Dani," Jules said as he motioned to the couple he was speaking to before we came over. Both of them smiled at me.

"So you're Sonic's new mystery girlfriend? Why aren't you just the prettiest thing," the woman, Dani, said to me. She looked to Sonic. "Now, why did you have to shield us away from this beauty? I understand that you may have wanted to keep her all to yourself but look at her: she's gorgeous!"

"Have you met your sons, tía? I don't need them harassing her," he replied.

"Too late for that," I heard a strongly accented male voice come from beside me. I immediately turned my head to see a boy around our age who looked like Diego and another boy who looked about Adrian's age who looked like Dani. They were both mischievously at me in their black suits. "_Hola chica bonita_," he said to me as his smile took a flirty turn.

"Hi," I murmured as Sonic pulled me closer. He wrapped his arm firmly around my waist as he glared at his cousins.

"It hasn't even been five minutes since I brought her in here. Back off," he told them.

"Come on, _primo_, you know we're only having a little fun. But your _chica es muy bonita. _You've got any sisters, chica?"

"No," I murmured.

"Leave her alone, Eduardo." The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Make me." Sonic growled.

"Wait till this thing is over. I'm gonna pound you right into the grass."

"Oh we'll see. Isn't that right, Christian," he lightly elbowed the boy beside him. Christian nodded, keeping his young eyes on me.

"But until then, how about you introduce us to your lovely girlfriend," he asked.

"I would but she doesn't like the two of you."

"What? She just met us!"

"Two minutes is enough not to like the two of you." Both boys rolled their eyes.

"Your boyfriend is mean, isn't he," Eduardo said to me.

"Extremely," I said with a soft smile.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side," Sonic said. The adults chuckled at us.

"Whoa, pretty girl alert," I heard a female voice say. I looked around Javier to see a beautiful Hispanic girl with long red hair, dark brown eyes, and a sparkly purple dress on. "Sonic, this isn't your new girlfriend is it?"

"Hi to you too, Cristal," Sonic said dryly. Cristal waved him off as she walked towards me in her stilettos.

"_Muy bonita," _she wondered aloud as she stared at me. I blushed under her gaze. "Hi, I'm Cristal. Those are my brothers Eduardo and Christian. We're Sonic's cousins. What's your name?" Cristal had little makeup on yet she still looked stunning with her arched eyebrows, wide eyes, and red lips. She looked to be a bit older than us though. Maybe about twenty or twenty-one years of age.

"I'm Amy," I said with a smile.

"That's such a pretty name! A pretty name to go with a pretty face." I blushed. "How did a pretty girl like you end up with a guy like him," she pointed to her cousin. Javier rolled his eyes.

"He can be pretty charming," I said with a smile. Cristal made a gag face.

"I'll believe that when I see it." She grabbed my hand and tugged me away from Sonic. "Come on, you should meet the rest of us girl cousins. We're cool."

"Whoa, no," Sonic said as he grabbed my other hand and pulled me right back to his side. "It's bad enough she's already been ambushed by you three. Let's give her a breather. I do actually like her and I don't need the rest of you scaring her off."

"Oh please. If she was going to be scared off, your face would've done that already." Sonic rolled his eyes once more. He opened his mouth to reply but there was an announcement over the intercom telling the guests to now begin taking their seats in the actual church room. Sonic let out a sigh of relief as people began to mill towards the opening doors that led to the next room. Sonic gave his father a look in which his father raised his eyebrows as if to say "Be nice." Wow, Sonic really was not a people person. I mean, I knew that before but I didn't think he got this protective even around his family. But then again, his uncle did kill his mother… I guess he had every right to be as cautious as he was.

He led me into the huge alter room where the walls were painted a soft gold and there were murals of angels all over the ceiling. Stained glass made up some of the upper windows while the lowers ones spilled light into the room. There were plenty of beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling as well as pretty silver arches.

Sonic led me into the fourth row where he sat next to his father. Cristal came up beside me with an attractive Hispanic boy around her age. She was holding his hand so I assumed that they were dating. She smiled at me as she sat down next to me in the cushioned white chair. I returned the smile. "This is my boyfriend, Lucas," she said. He nodded to me and offered me a soft smile.

Sonic's hand grabbed mine and he gave it a soft squeeze. He leaned close to whisper in my ear. "You alright," he asked. I nodded and gave him a smile.

"I'm fine. Your family isn't that bad," I whispered back. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Wait until you meet the rest of them at the reception. Just remember that you promised you wouldn't run."

"Trust me, I'm not going anywhere." He smiled at me as he leaned away. I gave him a soft squeeze before I heard the priest telling everyone to quiet down. The ceremony that followed was absolutely beautiful.

First, the groom, a handsome Hispanic guy in his middle twenties, came out with his equally attractive groomsmen. Then, the bridesmaids all ascended up the aisle in their elegant gold, simple gowns. We all stood up to see the bride walk down the aisle in her gorgeous white, princess like wedding gown. She was a beautiful woman with caramel colored skin, light brown eyes, jet black hair that was pulled into a curly up do, and a slender body. The groom almost cried tears of joy at the sight of her. I didn't blame him though. She did look absolutely stunning.

The vows they made to each other made my heart ache with happiness. They had wrote their own and sounded like poems to my ears. Both of them expressed their unconditional love for the other and their commitment to love each other for the rest of their lives. The bride actually shed a few tears as her groom said his vows to her. I could sense the strong love they felt for each other. It was so beautiful.

The reception was held in a banquet hall a couple of minutes away from the church. It was decorated with vibrant silvers, golds, and whites. Sonic and I sat with his three cousins I'd met prior to the wedding and some other ones that I was just then meeting. They were all nice to me, though the boys were a bit too nice. They were constantly smiling with looks that made me feel uncomfortable and their eyes were constantly roaming my covered body. Although I knew Sonic wouldn't let them touch me, I still felt a bit on display. His girl cousins were very sweet. They were constantly complimenting my looks and warmly welcomed me into their presence when the boys would pull Sonic away. Cristal kept me close to her as we all danced and had a good time. "We're going to be great friends," she told me as we jumped around to the beat of the song. I smiled at her and nodded my head. I did like her. She was the sweetest of them all.

When Sonic did meet back up with me about an hour and a half later, he was with the beautiful bride. She smiled warmly at me and gave me a hug. "Aren't you just the cutest thing on the face of this planet," she exclaimed, her sweet voice dominated by a strong Hispanic accent. "I'm Raquel. You're Amy, yes? I made Sonic tell me all about you while we were dancing. He's absolutely smitten, you know that?" Raquel talked very fast but I managed to keep up with what she was saying despite her strong accent. "I can see why though. You're so gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous!" She pushed Sonic and I together and took a black camera that I hadn't noticed had been in Sonic's hand out of it. "Smile, smile!" We both smiled as she took a picture. "Aw, aren't you guys just the cutest couple! Come, come," she grabbed both of our hands. "You must meet the aunts, yes. The aunts will love you."

She dragged us to a table where a bunch of older Hispanic women sat. They were talking before us three approached them. Immediately all of them got huge smiles on their faces. "Well, well, well, look what we have here. He picked a dateable one this time," one of his aunts said. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"This is Amy, my girlfriend," he introduced me.

"Yes, yes, let her sit down over here. We want to talk to her," another one of his aunts said. Raquel grabbed his hand and tugged him back off to the dancefloor. He seemed reluctant to go with her, repeatedly looking back at me. I took a seat at their table as the aunts immediately ambushed me with questions about myself and my relationship with Sonic. I kept my answers as simple yet understandable as possible. They seemed content with my answers, thankfully, and moved on to the topic of Sonic alone.

"What do you like so much about him," one of the elder aunts asked me.

"That's a hard question since I like everything about him. He's so independent, headstrong, and romantic. He's also so thoughtful and sweet and very handsome."

"Romantic and thoughtful, eh? Who would've thought he could be that way? After his mother's death, that boy turned into big ball of hardness." I tilted my head. "He did tell you about his mother's murder, yes."

"Yes, he did. He and his father suffered a terrible time."

"Terrible isn't the word for it," one of his aunts said. "Both of them went completely insane. Jules was always a strange man but after Maria's death he just went ballistic. He would talk to open spaces as if she were still there, he used to beat the living daylights out of the walls and sometimes Sonic if he were in the way, and he just went completely off the wall. Sonic also went a bit off the wire. The boy turned straight rebellious. He would always fight in school, give everyone the cold shoulder, and even went mute for a long while. Her death affected the both of them more than you would think now that they're better. It's just too bad that they both got into some things that they really should've stayed away from."

"But Sonic's not in a gang or does any drugs that I know of," I said confused.

"Oh honey," another one of his aunts said. "I wish it were just a simple gang or a small drug problem. They're involved in something much more serious than that. Hopefully, you can get him out of that. You seem like such a sweet girl. I'm sure you're having some sort of good influence on him."

"I would hope so," I murmured. His aunts quietly agreed among themselves just as I felt his hands on my shoulder. I looked up at him to see that he was looking to his aunts.

"Sorry but I'm going to steal my girlfriend away now," he told them.

"So early? But we've only been talking to her for an hour," his aunt Dani said.

"Exactly. I haven't been with her almost all night. Thanks for keeping her company though." He grabbed my hand and helped me up out of my seat. I shot his aunts all a smile.

"It was nice to meet all of you," I told them as Sonic tugged me to the dancefloor. A slow song was playing now. Sonic pulled me close against him as I looped my arms around his neck. We began to rock back and forth along to the beat of the song.

"I'm sorry," he told me. "I didn't mean to let you get passed around everyone so much."

"It's alright. I like your family. They're sweet people."

"They can be," he replied simply. While I wanted to question that statement, I left it alone. I also left alone the information that his aunts had shared with me. Sonic never mentioned that his dad had hit him a couple of times or that he was involved in something that his family perceived bad to his well-being. I wanted to question him about it but right then wasn't the time. We were having a good day. I had met his family who adored me, who had given me approval. That was all that had to matter. We could talk about the negative things in his life some other time. Right then, all I had to worry about was cherishing the time I was spending with him and praying that he would soon open his heart wider to me.

**Review if you wish...**


	18. Where Did You Learn To Do That?

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 17: Where Did You Learn To Do That?**

As the next few weeks rolled on, I again lost sight of the approaching junior prom. Blaze tried hard not to let me forget but between my school work and spending time with Sonic, I couldn't help but to forget. The only time I remembered was when Javier asked me to the formal dance by decorating my locker. Cream and Blaze practically went crazy over how cute my locker looked with our pictures together and the huge decorative letters that spelled out "Prom?" I, on the other hand, was just in complete surprise and awe. While I knew Sonic was going to ask me, I didn't know how or even when for that matter. Blaze had to remind me that prom was only a month and a half away which meant that he was going to have to do it a while before that time frame. She had already asked Silver using cupcakes while Tails had asked Cream by taking her out to dinner and having the chef write the question on a plate in chocolate syrup. I was the last one who needed to be asked. When I was asked, however, Blaze took that as a message that it was the right time for the three of us to go dress shopping.

So, on the impending Saturday after my proposal, we all took a ride to the mall to search for our prom dresses. As we explored around the most expensive stores, we discussed our boyfriends. Cream shared that she and Tails were more of the stay in couple. They hung around each other's houses a lot and watched movies and played video games and such. She really loved him though. She told us that they had already exchanged the mutual feeling verbally and that they were happy.

Blaze admitted that she didn't know what kind of couple she and Silver were. If anything, they were more or less just around. Sure, they went out frequently but they also stayed in a lot. He was in college but he owned an apartment that he lived in by himself so they got to play house a lot. She figured that they were that couple who acted as if they were married.

I merely shrugged my shoulders and said that Sonic and I were the couple who took things slow. I told my friends about all of our dates and how I'd met his family and how we were letting our relationship blooming slowly. We hadn't exactly known each other for as long as my friends had known their boyfriends so we were still trying to feel each other out, I guess. I knew that the real reason was because of Sonic's trust issues but I didn't exactly mind. I liked the slow pace that our relationship was taking. In a way, it worked better that way. Since I was still kind of new to the world, it was nice to have someone be patient with me.

"Enough mushy gushy," Blaze said. "How's everyone's physical life going?" Both Cream and I blushed deeply at her open question.

"It's fine," Cream murmured. Both Blaze and I raised our eyebrows at her. "What? Quiet girls can have some fun too, can't they?" Blaze smiled

"You; I like you." Blaze giggled. They both then turned to me and I turned an even deeper shade of red. I had already known that Blaze was active but I didn't know that Cream was as well. That meant that I was the only…virgin in our friend group. Sure, that didn't bother me but it was a bit awkward to say aloud. Sure, Sonic and I made out a lot but I never let him get too far. Over the past few weeks, I'd learned how to rid of the visions by just relaxing and not being so afraid of his foreign touches. However, I still did feel a bit uncomfortable going that far. This was going to sound cheesy but I wanted to know that he felt more than just feelings for me. I wanted to know that he loved me before I gave my body to him.

"Um, my physical life is nonexistent," I murmured.

"What," my two friends yelled in unison. I looked down, intertwining my fingers.

"I'm waiting for him to tell me that he loves me first."

"That's reasonable," Blaze said with a shrug. "Is he being patient with you and respecting your wishes?"

"Yea. I mean, he never initiates taking a step further whenever we're kissing unless I show signs that I want him to. He's very respectful of my body and I'm not afraid that his respect will change…I just…I just want that extra sense of security before we do anything."

"Aw, that's so understandable," Cream said. "Are you afraid of doing those things with him though? I mean…are you a virgin?"

"Yes," I said without thinking. Although I knew that my physical body wasn't technically a version, my mind still was. I didn't remember how to do those sexual…things. The old Amy didn't exactly write much detail about her experiences with Scourge other than the fact that he would rock her world. I did get information on what happens from television and my books but still, I wasn't exactly sure how Sonic would want our intercourses to be. I mean, some people had some weird fetishes. I wasn't quite sure if he was one of those people and I was damn sure not going to ask Sally for advice about what to do with him when it comes to sex. I would just have to learn from experience…whenever that would be.

"Aw, well you have nothing to be afraid of you. Trust me; I was a virgin before I slept with Tails and there is nothing to be scared about," Cream assured me.

"You have the easy part," Blaze piped in. "All you have to do is lay back, relax, and let the guy do all the work."

"Isn't the first time…awkward?"

"Yes," Blaze and Cream said in unison again.

"But it's only awkward for like a couple seconds because the boy doesn't know what the hell to do with himself and usually the girl doesn't either. But then again, it could all depend on the people. For some, it's not," Blaze explained.

"Oh," I said. I silently prayed that Sonic and I's first time wouldn't be awkward. Hopefully it wouldn't be. After all, he was more experienced than I was so hopefully he would take care of everything and I would just have to sit back and relax like my friends had said.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," Cream said with a soft smile. I returned her smile as we continued on into another dress store. By the end of our trip, we'd all found perfect dresses for the dance. Cream ended with a sky blue, no sleeved dress with a sweet heart cut that fitted her slender body. The top was decorated in jewels while the bottom fell into a graceful waterfall of a skirt. Blaze chose a fitted gold dress that was completely covered in jewels that was also strapless and had a slit up her leg. I picked a mint green mermaid style dress that was strapless and had a hint of a silver strip running through the dress. The dress brought out my emerald eyes and emphasized my curvy figure. I couldn't wait for Sonic to see me in it.

When he did come over later that day, he actually asked me if I had found a dress. I had nodded and smiled at him. "Can I see it," he asked. I shook my head. "Why not?"

"Because you're not allowed to see it." He raised his eyebrows.

"You wanna bet," he asked. I opened my mouth to reply but he quickly swiped my phone out of my hand. He stood up and held my phone up above his head. I got up and began to jump to try to get it out of his hand. Since I was so short, I was nowhere close to grabbing it out of his hands. An amused grin came upon his face as I jumped up and down around him. At one point, I even jumped on his back to try and get my phone. He chuckled as I wrapped my arm and legs around his body to balance myself. I then stretched my free hand up to try to grab my phone from his hand. I was careful not to squeeze him too hard. I didn't want to hurt him.

Sonic began to wobble, his balance thrown off by my weight and struggles. We tumbled to the floor but he angled himself so that he would fall on his front and I would be cushioned on his back. Thankfully our floor was heavily carpeted so he wasn't hurt. My phone did fall out of his hand though. I quickly got off of him and began to crawl towards it. He grabbed my hips and dragged me back to him. I giggled as I struggled against his strength. He was actually pretty strong for a human – much stronger than I'd expect. He pulled me under him and flipped me onto my back. He then grabbed my wrists and pinned them down above my head. He smiled in victory down at me.

"Nice try, kitten," he murmured huskily. I blushed as he moved my legs apart with his and moved up so that his hips were in between them. He leaned down so that our torsos were pressed up against each other. He moved his head down beside mine, his lips going to my ear. My stomach began to tingle with butterflies as his lips brushed the sensitive skin as he spoke next. "Looks like I've got you pinned."

"Hmm, seems so," I replied. He picked his head up so that it could hover over mine. He smiled down at me before leaning down to kiss my lips softly. As my mind began to whirl and the butterflies took over my stomach, he pressed his body closer against mine, pinning me even more so against the ground. He was so close, his firm chest and six pack of a stomach clearly identifiable on my body behind my closed eyes. He kissed me tenderly, gently as he held me there. I could feel the sensual tension once again arising in the both of us but I decided to ignore it. Sonic was taking me out to dinner tonight so I couldn't exactly act the slightest bit on the tension. I wanted to keep my outfit as nice as I could – though it was probably wrinkled from him messing around with me.

When he finally pulled away, he helped me up off the floor. I retrieved my own phone and put it securely in my jean skirt pocket. Sonic rolled his eyes at me. "I'll get it later," he promised.

"We'll see," I countered.

For dinner, he took me downtown again to a more casual restaurant. A lot of teenagers from our school were there as well, eating and laughing with their boyfriend, girlfriend, or their group of friends. We sat in a small booth near the windows, the dim lights reflecting off of them. After the waiter took our drink orders, Sonic began the topic of conversation. "So, did you start getting an idea of what colleges you wanna look at?"

"Not really. There's so much to choose from. I haven't exactly narrowed it down yet. How about you? Any colleges you've been looking at?"

"I was thinking about the University of Florida and University of Miami for sure. Both of their football coaches are hoping to recruit me and offer me athletic scholarships."

"That's good, Sonniku. And you wanted to study Criminal Justice, right?" He nodded.

"You mentioned to my dad that you wanted to go into nursing, right?"

"Yea."

"Why nursing?" I shrugged.

"I like helping people," I replied simply. "My mom is a nurse too. She always tells me about the things that go on while she's at work and I feel like I could be a good nurse someday. I wanna work in a children's hospital with the kids. I like kids. I was thinking of also maybe minoring in English. I love reading, as you know, and I was thinking of maybe writing my own book someday or maybe getting a side job in the publishing business or something. I don't know. I'm still trying to get my plans together."

"You would make a great nurse," Sonic told me with a smile. "If you do ever publish a book, I want to be the first person who buys it." I smiled as I tilted my head.

"But you don't read."

"I'd read it just because you wrote it." I blushed. "So, my girlfriend the nurse and the writer." He smiled widely. "I hope you'll have enough time for me between all that schoolwork and then all those work hours."

"I'll always have time for you, Sonniku."

"You know what we should do after college? We should move to Miami. There are tons of hospitals up there that you could work for and the crime rate up there is…well enough to keep me in a job. I could go to law school at the University of Miami school of law and you could do your nursing thing. Once I pass the lawyer test, we're going to be making big bucks. First we would have to get an apartment though when we first move down there. Then once our careers are settled, we could get married, get a house, raise a couple of kids, ya know." I smiled.

"You want kids," I asked. He nodded.

"I want to have a son someday…a daughter would be nice too. I don't have any sisters or brothers so I would want my kids to have each other."

"Aw, Sonniku." I got excited as I envisioned a little boy with Sonic's curly blue hair but my green eyes and a little girl with my pink hair and Javier's facial structure. I also saw an imaginary image of Sonic and I moving in together, getting married in a big church with all his family members, and just living life together. It was the perfect life in my eyes. However, my happiness soon popped as what I was came back into realization. I doubted that I could even have children. Sure, I was different from other vampires since I got hungry and such but could I conceive and nurture a child? If I did try to have children with Sonic, would they even be normal? Would they be able to live a normal life…like normal children? I frowned at the thought of our beautiful children struggling to live with their differences from other children, at the thought of them being ostracized and feeling isolated. I didn't want that for my children.

"Are you alright," Sonic asked. I blinked back into focus to see that he was staring at me, a concerned frown on his face. I nodded as I forced a smile on my face.

"Yea. I just…I just really hope life turns out the way we want it to." Sonic reached over the table to grab my hand. He gave it soft squeeze.

"Don't worry; everything will be just fine." I smiled at him and tried to have faith in his words. Hopefully everything would turn out just fine. All I wanted from his lifetime was to be with him and make him happy. I wanted to get married and raise a family with him. I wanted to be normal with him. It was just too bad that I wasn't normal and things were more than less likely to turn out completely wrong.

I was reminded of my problems when Sonic pulled up to my house later that evening and the seductive scent of the Bana was lingering around my house. I silently cursed at Kyle's timing. Life had been going so peacefully and happily. Why now did he have to come to collect my decision? Why now was he going to force me to leave all my happiness behind? Sure, I didn't have to go with him but I was not risking Sonic's safety for my own selfishness. If I loved him as much as I thought I did then I would have to keep him safe. I would have to leave him.

Yes, I did have the option to fight against Kyle but I wasn't fully capable of knowing how to kill a vampire. I knew how to stun humans and give me time to get away from them. My father had taught me that oh so long ago. He never taught me how to kill but instead how to stun or smack unconscious. He taught me how not be a killer. That's why I was skeptical of fighting against Kyle. It was obvious that he knew how to kill which would ultimately leave me in defeat. Besides fighting a human was much different than fighting a vampire. Humans were fragile, innocent creatures. Vampires were deadly and made of steel. If I even attempted to face off against Kyle then I'd probably go right into another coma.

"You alright," Sonic asked. I looked to him to see that his face had hardened and was glazed over with concern. I nodded and forced a soft smile on my face.

"I'm fine," I lied. He stared at me for a moment before rolling his eyes.

"If I tell you to do something, you promise you'll do it," he asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes…why? What's going on?"

"Stay in the damn car and don't move until I tell you to," he commanded before he opened his car door. My eyes widened.

"Whoa, Sonic, what are you doing?" He ignored me as he got out the car." I disobeyed his orders and hopped out the car as well. He glared at me from over the car.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the car," he snapped at me. He quickly began to walk to the trunk of his car. I followed him and stood by his side as he popped open his trunk. Just as I was about to tell him that he needed to leave, I noticed the abundance of guns in his trunk. Literally, he had about ten different guns in his trunk along with a whole pack of small wooden bullets made for each of the guns. What the hell was going on? He picked up a rifle and snapped it open. I jumped away from him.

"Sonic," I whimpered.

"Get back in the car," he said firmly.

"No you get back in the car! What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking care of your fucking problem."

"Ohh, such harsh words," I heard Kyle's voice say from behind me. I immediately turned around to see the vampire standing before us, smirking in amusement. His green eyes flicked back and forth between Sonic and I. "Well, well, well, look what we have here: a young hunter. How cute."

"Don't hurt him," I yelled at Kyle. Kyle tilted his head.

"Did you really think I was going to be afraid of a young hunter like him?"

"No! No, this wasn't-"

"You should be, you filthy bloodsucker," Sonic said as he raised the gun and pointed it at Kyle. The vampire smiled, even more amused by Sonic's actions.

"This should be fun," he said as he quickly lunged at us. Sonic quickly knocked me out of the way and Kyle fell on top of him. Sonic had angled the rifle horizontally in front of him, keeping Kyle's now sharpened fangs away from him. I let instinct take over and jumped on Kyle's back. I let my own fangs sharpen without Sonic's eyes seeing and bit down into his neck. Kyle howled in frustration and knocked me off of him. I flew onto my lawn. Kyle's attention was now on me, giving Sonic enough time to kick him off of him. He pinned Kyle to the ground with his foot for a moment before shooting him right in the heart. My eyes widened at the sight as Kyle's body quickly turned to stone and crumbled into a pile of dust beneath Sonic. Holy… I felt a rush of both shock and fear come over me as Sonic clicked the rifle once more. His hard eyes turned to me and for a moment, I thought he was going to shoot me next.

"I told you to stay in the fucking car," he snapped at me.

"You almost got killed and you're yelling at me because I didn't stay in the car," I yelled back at him. He began to walk towards me with his rifle in hand. I began to back away from him causing him to stop. His hard expression softened the slightest bit.

"Amy, I'm not going to hurt you. I'll explain later but I won't hurt you, I promise." He walked more slowly towards me. I turned my eyes away from him to the pile of dust that once was one of Scourges spies. Shit, Scourge… He was going to find out…he was going to come here…no, no, no…

Sonic's gentle touch on my face snapped me out of my gaze and I was forced to meet his light green eyes. "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you," he asked softly. His hard expression had fallen completely by now, leaving his concern to dominate his facial features.

"Where…where did you learn to do that," I asked. I felt a lone tear fall from my eyes as my fear began to interact with my body. Sonic sighed as he wiped the tear away.

"Come on; you're staying the night with me." He helped me up though I wobbled in his arms. He led me back to his car where he drove me back to his house. I tried hard to calm myself down as a heavy sob tried to take over me. I tried hard not to think about the consequences of Kyle's death. I hoped that his two accomplices didn't see it. I hoped they wouldn't come after Sonic. I hoped they wouldn't report it back to Scourge. I hoped he wouldn't come down and take care of this entire problem himself. If he did…oh that would not end well.

When we finally got back to his house, he drove his car into the garage and shut the door behind us. He helped me out of the car and led me to the trunk of his car. He opened it once more and let me examine the inside. Like I saw before, there were about ten different guns with specially crafted wooden bullets to match. There was also a couple of big wooden stakes and even small bottles filled with what was potentially poison. "I should've made you promise you won't run for the hills before I showed you this," Sonic muttered. I looked up at him.

"I…" I couldn't muster words. I was still in too much shock. Sonic had just killed Kyle without thinking twice about it. Kyle had also mentioned that Sonic was…a hunter. But that couldn't be possible. Vampires were supposed to be able to sense hunters. I was supposed to be able to sense him. Why couldn't I sense him and tell that he was a threat?

"Come on," Sonic said softly as he grabbed my hand and led me into the house. He towed me up the stairs to his huge attic. At first it was pitch black up there until Sonic flicked on the lights. My eyes immediately widened as I looked around the room. It was painted a dark gray with tons of charted maps, pictures, and weapons on the walls. The pictures were of various people, some of whom had red X's on them. One of the pictures was actually of Kyle smoking a cigarette. I watched as Sonic grabbed a red Sharpie from the table in the middle of the room and put an X on his picture. I stared at him in confusion. He glanced at me.

"My uncle was a vampire," he explained without meeting my gaze. "The vampires had attacked his town and turned him into one of them. Our family didn't know since he can tell much of their changes by talking to them over the phone. So, my mom allowed him to come over and visit. When he got me alone, he started talking all this crazy about how he's always thought of me as a son and how he hated my father and how he was going to take me and raise me as his own. He bit me…he tried to turn me into a vampire…that's when I screamed. It hurt like Hell but his bite didn't last long for the venom to sink into my bloodstream. My scream had thrown him off. He'd smacked me and told me to shut up but it was too late, my mother had already come in. She tried her hardest to fight against him but he killed her without barely using any strength. When I realized what he'd done…I…I grabbed my old wooden bat, broke it and…I stabbed him right in the heart. I left all the bodies there and lay down on the ground with my mother's dead body. When my dad came home, he thought I was dead. But I wasn't. After the accident and I'd told both him and the police what happened my father joined the local clan of vampire hunters. He thought it would be a good way to take out his grief and make sure the vampires didn't harm anyone else's family. He had them train the both of us though I was on a different schedule than he was. My father was still acting crazy but when he was with the hunters, he seemed better. The main leader took me under his wing personally. He taught me how to kill, hunt, and sense vampires." A shiver went through my spine at the sound of that. Could Sonic sense me? If he could then why wasn't he doing anything? Why hadn't he killed me yet?

"My dad travels a lot with the clan – and his job," Sonic continued. "He also neglected me in the process. The chief leader who trained me basically raised me as well. My dad was never around to take care of me…so someone had to." He let out a deep sigh. "I _hate _vampires," he said coldly. I felt a sting to my heart at the sound of that. Did he really not know who he was talking to? Why was he sharing this with all of me? Why was I sitting here and listening to it? If I had any sense then I would've been bolted away from him. I should've been miles away from him by then. So, why I was I still here wanting to love him?

"Why are you showing me all of this," I asked through my cracked voice. Sonic looked up at me, his amber eyes vulnerable. He stared at me for a minute before speaking.

"Because if we're going to take our relationship any farther then you should know what I do in my free time…what I'm capable of."

"Sonic," I whispered. He began to walk towards me.

"What did those vampires want with you anyway?" I stared up into his lime eyes and I actually contemplated telling him the truth. I contemplated telling him exactly what I was and what happened to me. But I knew that would not end well; not here in a room filled with weapons meant to kill vampires. I knew that I would have to tell him eventually but I couldn't do it in that moment. Not after he'd just told me that he hated vampires. I would have to lie. If I wanted to keep him then I would have to keep lying until I just couldn't do it anymore. Good thing, I wasn't at that point yet.

"My accident…the one where I lost my memory…it involved vampires as well." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "The boy in my pictures…Scourge…he…he attacked my home…and he…" I felt a tear fall down my face. "He tried to turn me into a vampire." Sonic raised his eyebrows.

"Did he succeed?"

"You would know if he did," I replied lowly. Sonic tilted his head, his lime eyes analyzing me. My stomach clenched as I felt him focus all his attention on me. Anxiety hit me hard for that long minute as he stared at me, his mind searching for the signs to match the vampire traits in his head. A part of me prayed that he would see me for what I was but see the girl I was behind that. Vampire or not a vampire, I was still Amy. I hoped that he could see that.

"You look pretty human to me," he finally concluded. What? I let go of the breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. While I was relieved, I was also confused. How could he not sense me? I was a vampire wasn't I? Sure I wasn't a normal vampire but I was still a vampire nonetheless. Yet, so was my family and so was Blaze. He'd never acted weird around them though. Only around the Bana. Was their ability to sense vampires only geared towards the Bana since they were the evil ones?

I was jolted out of my thoughts as I felt Sonic's arms wrap around me. I relaxed in his warm embrace and snuggled my head against his chest. "Come on, kitten. Let's get you upstairs so that you can get some rest. I know you're probably tired after all of this excitement." He swiped my feet from under me so that he could me bridal style. I curled into his chest, holding on his cotton button down tightly. He walked back the steps to his room. He lay me down on his bed before walking to his dresser. He pulled out on his bigger tee shirts for me to wear. Since I was still a bit shaken up, he helped me undress and throw the shirt on over my lingerie. He let me lay back down before changing his clothes. He changed in a pair of black fleece pajama pants before crawling into bed beside me. He wrapped his muscular arm around me and pressed his bare muscular torso up against my back. I found his hand in the darkness and gave it a soft squeeze.

He shifted next to me, propping himself up a bit on his elbow. I then felt his soft lips on my neck. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way," he murmured against my skin before kissing it softly. He continued kissing my neck between his words. "I wanted to tell you in a better way but I…I couldn't let him hurt you."

"Does anyone else know about you…and your dad," I asked quietly.

"My family, Cream, her mother, and Tails…and now you." His kisses trailed up to my jaw.

"Why do you keep spilling your secrets to me?" Without warning, Sonic roughly flipped me onto my back. He was hovering over me, his lime eyes filled with an emotion I'd never seen before in him. The sight made me want to blush and cry at the same time.

"Because…because I love you, Amy. I'm _in _love with you and I want you to know everything about me. I want you to be able to see me for everything that I am and love me all the same." He leaned down to kiss my lips. "_Te amo_," he murmured between our kisses.

"I love you too, Sonic," I whispered back. "I love you for all that you are." He pulled out of our kisses to look down at me, his lime eyes filled with surprise.

"You love me," he asked. I nodded.

"I've loved you the moment you told me that your name was none of my business." He smiled the tiniest bit. "I'll always love you, no matter what happens," I whispered. "Promise me you won't forget that."

"I promise," he murmured before leaning down to kiss me once more. Our kisses immediately deepened, our lips moving together in a sweet harmony. It wasn't long before our passion and love for each other spread to the rest of our bodies. Sonic's hands began to cautiously roam and for once, I let them. I let him caress my legs, I let him kiss up my bare stomach, I let him touch me wherever he wanted. He was gentle with my body, handling it as if it were made of glass. I let my own hands wander over his broad chest, his tight stomach and his muscular arms. I let him undress me completely as he allowed the same for me. When our bodies were completely in contact, he looked into my eyes and asked me a simple question of "Are you sure?" I had stared back up into his beautiful eyes and nodded.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he replied before kissing my lips and entering the both of us into a night full of bliss.

**Review if you wish**


	19. Did You Miss Me?

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 18: Did You Miss Me? **

The first thing I felt when I woke up the next morning was the soft touch of Sonic's lips against the bare skin of my shoulder blades. I was curled up into his blankets, his muscular arm wrapped tightly around my waist. My back was pressed against his firm chest, his warm skin sending tingles in my stomach from the contact. I know that should sound stupid and cheesy, especially after what had went down last night but it was the truth. Somehow, even after he'd had all of me, his touch managed to send butterflies to stomach. The night before, I was basically made out of butterflies. His touch was the gentlest it'd ever been as he'd explored my body and his lips had never been sweeter. He took his time with me, moving achingly slow out of respect so that I could adjust to my new sensations. He eventually did go at the speed that he wanted with his advances but even then, he still held that alertness where he would stop if I told him to. I didn't want him to though. He had put on my body on cloud nine and that's where it stayed all night. Even as I lay there that morning with him, I could still feel the leftover bliss lingering in my body.

My nose caught the scent of bacon, eggs, and toast as my body began to fully come to terms with being awake. The smell reminded my stomach of how hungry I was. The night before had taken a lot more energy out of me than I had expected – not that I was complaining. Sonic's distinct scent also rang through my nose causing my fangs to sharpen the slightest bit. My body needed blood…but that would have to wait. I didn't want to rush out of Sonic's bed; I wanted to stay cuddled up with him for a while longer.

"Good morning," I murmured to him as a soft smile came upon my face. His kisses stopped abruptly as he brought his lips up to my ear.

"_Buenos días_," he whispered huskily into my ear. I blushed deeply at the sound of his even more strongly accented voice. He used his accent frequently the night before, purring in my ear and humming my name. The sound had caused my bliss to rise to an even higher level.

I shifted onto my back so that I could stare up at him. He propped himself on his elbow as I did so. Now he was looking down at me, his light green eyes narrowed with sleepiness. His blue curls were tousled in a cute, bed-head way and his dark caramel colored skin was glowing as the morning sun reflected off of it. I smiled up at him as he raised his hand to caress my cheek. "_Te amo mi hermoso ángel,_" he told me.

"I love you too," I replied. He offered a tiny smile before leaning down to softly kiss me. The kiss only lasted a moment before he pulled away.

"Are you hungry? I made breakfast." I nodded. He kissed my forehead before sitting up to grab the huge plate sitting on his nightstand. On the plate was a giant homemade hash brown, a big pile of eggs, a couple pieces of toast and loads of bacon. My mouth watered at the sight. He also grabbed one of those little TV trays and set it on top of his legs, so that it was propped up high above his lap. I sat up to move closer to him. "What would you like first, kitten?"

"Surprise me."

"Alright. Close your eyes." I raised an eyebrow but did as I was told. I heard the clink of a fork against the plate before I felt something hot press gently against my lips. I opened my mouth so that he could stick the fork into my mouth. Immediately, I tasted the seasoned taste of well cooked eggs. I could tell that he hadn't made normal, American eggs. Instead he must've cooked some recipe from Mexico. I could taste the difference of spices and the small fiery after taste that was left in my mouth. I couldn't help to moan in satisfaction. He chuckled at me. "You like?"

"Mhmm; very much so," I replied. He chuckled again before feeding me another forkful but instead of eggs, I could tell it was a bit of the hash brown. This had the more traditional taste that I was used to. So did the toast and the bacon. However, I had to say that my favorite from the breakfast was the eggs. They were so different and tasted so good. Once I had tried each of the foods. Sonic let me open my eyes and offered me a fork of my own. Together, we picked around the plate and ate contently. "When did you learn to cook," I asked him. He glanced at me from under his long eyelashes.

"I liked to help my mom cook. I partially learned from her but mostly, I taught myself how to. My dad can't really cook so I had to feed myself. You get tired of microwaveable dinners after a while," he said.

"Um…can I ask you about your dad…about how he used to be?"

"Sure."

"I don't mean to intrude on your past or anything but your…your aunts mentioned at the wedding that your dad used to hit you. Is…is that true?" Sonic's face hardened.

"Yea," he murmured. "Sometimes he would lash out. He'd scream and punch the walls and just flip shit. I used to try to calm him down since I found his actions to be a bit…frightening. I'm not saying he didn't mean to actually hit me but I will say that he wasn't in his right mind. He really loved my mother; her death practically destroyed him. The reason he got remarried so quickly was because everyone kept telling him to get over himself and move on with his life. So, he did just that without thinking about what that would do to me or even his own heart for that matter. He never fully recovered from my mother's death because he never gave himself the time to."

"I'm sorry," I told him. He shrugged.

"It's not your fault. My dad's just an idiot, that's all. Anything my aunts blab to you about that you wanna know about?"

"Well, they mentioned that you used to fight a lot in school and that you went mute for a while."

"I fought because stupid kids couldn't keep their mouths shut. I've never had patience when it came to my temper but it just became more noticeable after her death. As for the mute belief: I was never actually mute. I just didn't like talking to my family or my therapist or at school. I did talk to Tails and I was nice to Cream when she and her mother moved in. My family just took it as mute because they never actually saw me talk."

"Have you fully recovered from your mother's death," I asked, using the words he'd said about his father. His lime eyes looked up at me in surprise. It was obvious that he hadn't expected for me to ask that question. From the genuine shock in his face, I wondered if anyone had ever asked him that question…if anyone had cared enough to ask. He stared at me for a moment, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to form an answer.

"I don't…I don't think there is a recovery from where I'm standing."

"I'm-" Sonic put a finger to my lips, cutting me off.

"No sorry's," he told me before leaning down to kiss me. "Just promise me that you won't leave." His amber eyes were somber, looking down at me with an intensity that caused my stomach to clench in sadness. The other events of the night before flashed before my eyes. Sonic killing Kyle, showing me all of his weapons, telling me that he was trained to kill vampires…telling me that he hated creatures like me. I didn't want to lie to him about what I was but I didn't want him to hate me. I wanted him to continue loving me in the same way that I loved him, I never wanted to leave his side – not ever.

"I promise that I'm not going anywhere," I assured him before kissing him for another moment.

"Good. I don't know what I'd do without the love you've shown me." I smiled and kissed his cheek. "_Te amo, mi amor," _he whispered.

"I love you too."

After breakfast, we lay back down in the bed and I curled up on him once again. We both actually ended up falling asleep for another couple of hours before waking up again. Sonic wanted me to stay with him longer but he had to get to work. So, we both quickly got dressed and he drove me home. We bid each other goodbye kisses and Sonic promised that he would call me later. Then he sped off in his car to get to his job on time. I watched him go before looking towards the sidewalk where the pile of dust that had once been Kyle had lain. _You're an idiot, _I mentally scolded myself. I shook my head as I made my way into the house. Adrian was in the living room pacing back and forth. I didn't even have to ask what was wrong; the look on his face told me everything I needed to know.

"What the hell, Ames," he snapped at me when he noticed my presence. "I knew not to trust that stupid human!"

"Adrian, calm down. He's not all that bad."

"Not all that bad? He's a hunter, Amy! Do you know what hunters like him can do to vampires like us? Oh wait, you do know; you got a front row seat just last night."

"Adrian, he was just trying to protect me."

"Yea he's trying to protect you now because he thinks you're a human. What happens when he finds out that you're a vampire? Hm? What happens then?" I opened my mouth to speak but I shut it right back. I knew what would happen when he found out what I was. He'd immediately fill with probably more than just hate since I'd deceived him and then probably try to rip my head off. The thought made my heart hurt.

"I don't know what you want me to do."

"I don't want you to do anything," Adrian snapped. "There's nothing either of us _can _do. We're already in deep shit. There's no turning back from this."

"Why isn't there? Why are you freaking out so much over this?" Adrian sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Amy, Kyle is dead. When one of the Bana die, the news spreads pretty quickly. Usually depending on how high the rank of the fallen was, it predicts how bad the repercussions are. Since Kyle was one of Scourge's main guys, it's going to be pretty bad. Scourge is _very _high in the Bana world; it's suicide to cross him."

"Adrian, calm down," I said as I walked up to my brother. I grabbed his arms to stop him from pacing. His emerald eyes were filled with the fear and worry that I'd seen in a flashback so long ago when our father was giving us weapons to protect ourselves. He looked young again. The sight made my heart sink. He really was too young to be experiencing all this. "We're going to be okay."

"But what if Scourge sends more of his guys down here or what if…what if he comes down to come get you himself?"

"Then we will handle it. I doubt Scourge will pop out of the blue so quickly. Kyle was just killed last night. Besides you said he's pretty high which means that he probably has a lot of work to do. We have time to get ourselves together. So, just don't worry so much. Okay?" Adrian nodded. I forced a soft smile before hugging him tightly. Although I was trying to be strong for my little brother, I couldn't help but to be a little bit worried as well. I didn't know exactly what Scourge was capable of nor did I know what his true plans were for me. His spies could spit his whole "he still loves you" bullshit to me but I still wasn't buying it. He had to want me so badly for some other reason. I doubted he would be sending men down here to get me if it were just for the simple reason of lingering feelings. Evil people just don't work that way.

Instead of driving myself absolutely crazy about Scourge, I focused more of my attention on Sonic and my friends. They were all excited about the approaching junior prom – Blaze especially. She was in charge of helping all of us plan what we were going to do. From the pre-planning, we agreed that the girls were all going to get ready together at my house while the boys would pick up Sonic's uncle's huge van that he lent to us for the night. Then the boys would come to pick us up and we were all going to take pictures in my backyard where my mother had made a beautiful garden. We also planned that after prom we'd all sleep over Cream and Sonic's house and just chill out together the next day.

The plan worked out much better than I thought it would. Blaze, Cream, and I went straight to my house after school ended the Friday of prom. We all took turns showering and watching TV before Blaze began wrestling with all of our hair. We had already gotten our nails done the day before so that was one less thing we had to worry about. Blaze did our hair perfectly though. For Cream, she curled her hair into a waterfall of soft blonde curls and left them all running down her back. For me, she curled my hair into tight curls and twisted the front away from my face but in a way that they were curled up in the back, creating a half down, half up hairdo. For herself, she gave herself a sexy, curly updo with a small swoop above one of her eyes. She then worked on our makeup. She gave herself a dark golden smoky look before giving Cream silvery eyes and pink lips. I was last in which she gave me a more natural yet eye-popping look with my colored lips and slightly darkened outlined eyes. Once we all looked like supermodels, we slipped into our dresses.

The boys were then by then and Tails and Silver were yelling up the steps for us to come down. Due to my enhanced hearing, I could hear Sonic chuckling at their silliness. At the sound, I felt nervous butterflies rush up my stomach. I straightened my dress that already fit snuggly on me and made sure my hair looked okay. Blaze swatted at my hands. "You look great," she assured me. I shot her a smile as she squeezed my hand.

We all descended down the steps together and put all the boys in awe. Our parents who were standing by with cameras immediately began snapping pictures, the bright lights halfway blinding us. My eyes immediately went to Sonic who was raising an eyebrow at me in surprise. My own actually went up at the sight of him. His curly hair was cut down so much so that his curls had vanished, leaving silky, straight locks behind. He was decked out in a black suit with a mint green dress shirt and a diagonally striped tie. He looked good. The suit emphasized his broad shoulders and tall figure. I just wanted to kiss him and not stop but I couldn't do that…not in that moment anyway.

His lips pulled up into a small smile as I walked up to him. I held up my own box that held his boutonniere. "Don't judge me if I accidentally stab you," I told him. He rolled his eyes at me as his hand curled around my waist. He pulled me close against him. He dipped his head down so that he could whisper in my ear.

"You look beautiful, Amy," he purred in my ear. I blushed deeply as I leaned against him.

"You clean up nice yourself," I replied. He chuckled before kissing my cheek. Our parents pushed us out to the backyard where all of us girls struggled to get the stupid flowers onto our date's suits. I think I accidentally pricked Sonic about ten different times trying to get the flower on. The boys were lucky that all they had to do was slip the wristlet onto our wrists.

Once all of our flowers were in order, the real pictures began. My brother and Olivia came out to watch us take the pictures, both of them smiling in amusement. My brother's eyes raked over Sonic once and I could've sworn I saw his lips pull down into a frown for a moment. However he did meet my eyes and he gave me a nod of approval. I shot him a smile in return.

Sonic didn't leave my side the entire night. When he drove the van to our school where the prom was being held, he made sure I sat in the passenger seat beside him. Then when we finally got to the gym where it was decorated to fit the _Great Gatsby _theme that had been voted for, he made sure his arm never unwrapped from around me. We danced together, ate together, and took tons of pictures. The night honestly went by way too fast for my liking, especially the parts where I got to slow dance with Sonic. However, I didn't particularly mind when we finally got back to his house. Blaze and Silver ended up taking his car back to his apartment so that left Cream and I with our boyfriends. Cream sent me a wink before leading Tails to her room. Sonic was hesitant but also lead me up to his own room. I understood his weariness though. We had only had sex the one time before prom and that had been about a month before. He was just being cautious about whether or not it was alright to do things to me. I let him know it was okay though by kissing him and doing away with his suit jacket. He then relaxed himself and put me through the same bliss that he had given me before.

The rest of the school year began to fly by once prom was over. I kept up with my school work as Sonic and I began to hang out a lot more. I gradually began spending almost every weekend over his house since his parents were never home. I usually would sleep over Friday and Saturday night and he'd drop me off home on Sunday night. Between then and when he had to work, I would hang out with Cream and Blaze. We'd frequently go shopping for summer clothes and go see movies and just lay out around each other's houses, talking and eating junk food.

Eventually, school did let out and we were all free from school work. We all camped out at Cream and Sonic's house after school on the last day and made plans for the summer as a group. Although Silver couldn't make our small meeting, Blaze promised to fill him in on it later. We made plans to go to Disney World, Orland Studios and the beach. Sonic and I made our own plans to spend a few days down in Miami together when he went to go visit their college.

The first trip we actually acted on was the one to the beach. Sonic's uncle once again loaned us his van and we all packed our stuff in the back of it. Then we all set out to visit the beach and the boardwalk. We spent the whole day playing in the water, tanning, shopping, and even going on a few rides. Sonic once again didn't leave my side since I had worn a bikini that pushed up my boobs and lay very low on my hips. Any guy who stared at me for longer than three seconds earned a death glare from him. I didn't mind his protectiveness though. In a way, it proved how much he really did care about me.

During our night on the boardwalk, he won me a few prizes from playing a few games. He also made me get on a couple of scary rollercoasters. I didn't think I would be so scared of heights but I found that I was when we got to the top of those hills and the coaster would throw us back down them. After a few coasters, I got used to it though and maybe got a bit addicted to the tingling in my stomach whenever we would descend down the hill.

The next trip we did was Orlando Studios. We went two days in a row to visit both parks. Adrian and Olivia accompanied our group on these trips since they'd never been there before. Now, that was a fun trip. We explored both parks, going on every ride and experiencing every 4-D attraction that they had. We also visited the famous Harry Potter worlds there and got to eat at some pretty nice restaurants. Sonic got me a bunch of souvenirs while we were there and won me a few more prizes. He also let me get my first Henna tattoo on the back of my shoulder. The tattoo read "Amor" in cursive script. I was absolutely in love with it and I will admit that I was upset when it did wash away after a week.

Sonic and I's trip to Miami was pretty fun. We rode up there with his father and stayed in a fancy hotel – in our own room. His father didn't mind us sleeping in the same bed or anything nor did he mind us exploring on our own. During those four days that we were up there, we went shopping, we ventured to the beach, explored the boardwalk, and visited the University of Miami. The city was absolutely beautiful as was their college campus. Sonic immediately fell in love with their programs and everything that the college offered him. His father seemed to like it as well. The only thing Sonic seemed hesitant about was how far it was from Orlando. He worried that if I went to school local then he would be too far away from me. I assured him that I was thinking of applying there, since I had fallen in love with the school as well.

"You'll definitely get in. You're smart," he told me as he kissed my cheek. We were laying in the bed in the hotel room, watching television as we talked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I hope so," I replied.

"You will. Stop worrying." He then kissed my lips and I let all my worry flow out of my body as he put his bliss onto me once more.

The last big trip of the summer was our week-long trip to Disney World. We ventured down their every day for an entire week to explore all the parks, dine in their exquisite restaurants, and go on all the rides that people our age could think of. I loved the park. Although it did seem a bit childish for the most part, there was plenty of things to do for people our age. We got to take tons of pictures, go on tons of rides, and eat anything we wanted to try. Sonic once again brought me a bunch of different things while we were down there including Minnie Mouse ears – something of which I became obsessed with. I took tons of pictures with the characters we saw around the park as well as random pictures in front of landmark statues and selfies with my friends. It was just altogether the best trip we had that summer.

During those months, I couldn't help but to…forget everything that was going on around me. I forgot that I was a vampire and about Scourge and about the trouble that he could cause once he realized my boyfriend had killed one of his men. I was completely distracted by my intimate dates with Sonic, my chill days with my friends, and all of our extravagant trips. I fell in love with my new, normal way of life as well as the boy I called mine. While he never really mentioned his hunter duties unless he absolutely had to, I still worried about what those duties were doing to his mentality. I worried about what would happen if he were to find out about what I was. I worried that he would leave me or kill me – neither of which I wanted. We'd grown so close together; I couldn't bear to leave his side. I hoped that I wouldn't have to.

On the first day of school, Sonic sent me a good morning text that celebrated it being one year since we first met. I smiled at the text before teasing him about how mean he was to me that first day. He told me to hush my mouth causing me to giggle. I pushed myself out of my bed and headed towards my bathroom to shower. I got dressed in an orange sundress that had coral flowers on it along with a pair of coral wedges. I styled my hair into soft curls and applied a small bit of makeup.

I drank down some blood along with my breakfast before Sonic came to pick me up. "Are you sure you don't want a ride," I asked Adrian who was still munching on a piece of toast. We'd both gotten our licenses over the summer but Sonic still preferred to drive me around. Adrian liked driving though. He had never gotten that far in his human life so it was still new and exciting to him.

"Nah. I'll drive with Olivia," he told me.

"Be careful," my mother said as she kissed my forehead. I nodded before leaning down to kiss my father's cheek. He was sitting at the table, sipping blood out of a coffee mug and reading the newspaper.

"Bye daddy," I told him.

"Bye sweetie," he replied.

I headed out to Sonic's car where my boyfriend waited patiently. He was sitting the driver's seat wearing a simple black tee shirt and a pair of worn jeans. His curls had grown back and flopped over a bit into his eyes. He smiled at me as I slid into the car. "Hey beautiful," he said as he leaned over to give me a soft kiss.

"Hi Sonniku," I murmured against his lips. He smiled wider as he pecked my lips. We drove to school in a content silence, the radio and the wind making enough noise for us. We had more than a couple of classes together this year, including lunch, so we had more than enough time to talk throughout the day. Besides, it was pretty early in the morning. I was sure that he was tired. After being able to sleep in for the past three months, I was pretty tired myself.

When we finally got to school, all the girls were buzzing – more so in our grade. As Sonic walked down the hallways with our hands intertwined, I looked around curiously at all the girls gossiping around us. I was tempted to take a peek into their minds but the words that I caught said enough: there was a new, unnaturally hot boy in our class. I had crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion at the sound as my stomach clenched slightly.

"Do you know anything about the new boy in our class," I asked Cream after Sonic had dropped me off at my locker. Cream tilted her head, looking just as surprised as I was.

"No. I didn't even know kids still came to new schools during their senior year of high school," she replied. She shrugged. "Interesting."

I shrugged off the news of the new student after I asked Blaze who was also oblivious to the news. She assumed that it was just some hot guy every girl wanted to throw themselves at – nothing to get choked up about. "You already have your man," she teased. I giggled at her though I still couldn't help but to be a bit nervous.

Thankfully most of the day went by smoothly. A huge majority of my classes were AP so my teachers blabbed on about the work that we had to start ASAP. That eventually got boring so I began to tune them out and daydream about Sonic and the perfect summer that had ended. At lunch, my friends and I chattered on about our teachers and how we all kind of regretted taking such hard classes. The boys made jokes about their teachers causing all of us to laugh. Sonic stayed quiet though, his eyes telling me that he was in another world. I had grabbed his hand and gave it a soft squeeze. He looked down at me, his lime eyes alive with worry. I wanted to question him about it but I knew I couldn't do it in front of everyone. Whatever was wrong was going to have to wait.

After lunch, my next couple of classes went by uneventfully. It wasn't until I walked into my eighth period AP English that I was hit with a familiar scent of sweet vanilla and mint. The scent wrapped around me, practically bombarding my senses. As it did so, I saw a flash of a younger version of me running though she was looking over her shoulder and smiling. Her sweetly youthful laughter filled my ears as the image pushed itself into my mind. I blinked it away as I tried to refocus myself to where the scent had come from.

Immediately my eyes fell on a drop-dead gorgeous boy. He had green hair that was a bit of a mess atop of his head, beach-tanned skin, a leanly muscular body, and long legs. His face held artistically sculpted cheekbones and jaw line, straight eyebrows, and mischievous ice blue eyes. My eyes widened as the boy from my pictures came to life before my eyes. His pink, plush looking lips pulled up into a small smile as his voice whispered tauntingly in my head.

_Hey Ames, did you miss me? _

**Review if you wish...**


	20. It's Not Over

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 19: It's Not Over**

I mentally swore as I stared at the beautiful boy sitting in the classroom. I blinked repeatedly, trying to make sure that my eyes weren't fooling me. I prayed that they weren't. He couldn't be here. He had to be a hallucination – he just had to be. Life was going so well; my life was starting to go back to normal. Why now did he have to show up? My stomach clenched in fear at the thought of what his purpose of coming here could be. Was he here to drag me out of this town himself?

The teacher pointed to my seat…the desk next to his. I took a deep breath as I walked down the row to my seat. I sat down without looking at him though I could feel his eyes on me. He didn't have time to say anything before the teacher began jumping into her introduction about the class and such. As she spoke, I repeatedly glanced at the boy sitting next to me. I noticed his laid back posture and cool, relaxed expression. He didn't seem upset or angry or any of that. Instead he just looked like a normal boy sitting in class. I tried to get another glimpse into his mind but it was blocked – completely. The realization scared me. Even with Sonic, I could hear his thoughts buzzing though I couldn't make out what they were saying. With him, there was just silence.

I couldn't help but to wonder why he was sitting her in school with me. Kyle and his other men had always been so discreet or quiet when it came to getting close to me. Usually humans couldn't see them, however that worked. But he was just out in the open as if there was no need to shield himself from anyone's view. What in the world was he doing? What if Adrian saw him? What if Blaze saw him? What if Sonic saw him? My boyfriend had seen the pictures so he did know what his younger self looked like. I doubted that he was stupid enough to not put the pieces together. He would know who he was right off the back; it was inevitable. God, what was this boy up to?

"We need to talk," Scourge said once the teacher was done with her spiel. His voice was the same as the one in the video of us I'd watched over a year prior. It was deep with that city tone laced into it. His sentence was more of a command, not a request though. I did open my mouth to tell him that I had other plans but I quickly closed it when he turned his blue eyes to me. His eyes scanned me over, filling with an emotion that I couldn't put my finger on. "My car is near the back of the parking lot. It's a white Mustang; you can't miss it. Don't run; it'll end badly if you do."

"Okay," I murmured. I dug my phone out of my dress pocket to text my boyfriend letting him know that Adrian was going to drive me home. Thankfully he didn't question it and told me that he loved me. I shot him an "I love you" text back before the bell rang. Scourge quickly got up from his seat and gracefully walked out of the room. All of the girls followed after him, trying to get his attention by talking to him. From what I could see, he ignored all of them. I wanted to question his actions but I didn't have time to. Instead, I bolted to my locker and hurried to find his car. It wasn't hard to find it, thankfully. He had parked all the way in the back where most people avoid so that they wouldn't have to walk such a long way.

He was leaning against the passenger side, his ice blue eyes scanning the parking lot. There was a small, worried frown on his face before his eyes landed on me. Then it quickly turned up into small, satisfied smile. He opened the passenger door for me. I eyed him cautiously as I slid into the car. The seats smelled of fresh leather, telling me that the car was brand new. I briefly wondered if he had drove all the way down here from wherever he had come. While I doubted it, it was still a suitable question. He got in the car as well and began to drive off towards the outskirts of the city. I stayed quiet as I tried to relax in the seat. I stared out the window, watching the town pass us by. I mentally scolded myself for going with him. He could be kidnapping me for all I knew.

"Don't worry; we're just going to have a little chat," Scourge said suddenly, as if he'd heard the thought inside of my head. I looked over at him to see that he was glancing at me, his eyes finding more interest in me than the road itself.

"And then you're going to take me home," I asked. He hesitated but nodded his head.

"If that's what you want," he replied lowly.

"Then…what happens after you take me home and I tell my family that you're here?"

"Adrian already knows I'm here; I saw him in the hallway earlier. He looked _very _happy to see me," he said sarcastically. "But I don't know what you mean by that question. I don't think you expect me to be scared of your parents, do you?" I opened my mouth to speak but quickly shut it. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect out of Scourge. He had just randomly popped up out of the blue and now was driving me to only God knows where. He hadn't really done anything besides that. I didn't really know much about him either other than the description that everyone else had given me. So far, he didn't exactly live up to it yet.

I didn't respond to his question since we had reached our destination. It was a large, grassy hill that seemed to overlook the suburban section of the city. Scourge got out of the car and began to ascend the hill. I got out as well and looked over my shoulder at the open road behind us. I contemplated running but I quickly disregarded that thought. Scourge would just catch me anyway. I might as well just stayed and heard whatever he had to say before I tried to get away from him.

I followed him up to the top of the hill where a huge rock lay. Scourge sat atop of it and leaned back on his palms, his eyes staring up at the sky. As I was walking to sit beside him, a vision appeared before my eyes.

"_I feel like I'm king of the world," Scourge yelled as he stood atop of the huge rock we'd found at the top of the hill. He held his hand out to me. "Come my queen, together we will rule this earth!" I giggled at my friend. He looked so silly; a young boy standing atop a rock and yelling up at the sky. I kind of admired him for his quixotic ways though. He always wanted to have power somewhere and use it in the best way that he could. I grabbed his hand and let him pull me up onto the rock. _

_I looked down at all of the seemingly small houses below us and whistled in awe. "Look at this view," I told Scourge. _

"_I know. Isn't it great?" He paused for a moment before snapping his finger. "This should be our new hangout spot – our own secret one?" I raised an eyebrow at him. _

"_Why here?" _

"_Because it's so secluded and so high up. We can see everything from up here but no one else will even know where we are. It's like…like we're the king and queen of Orlando!" I giggled. _

"_You and this king business." _

"_No, I'm serious, Ames. One day I'm going to become a king or a ruler and you'll be my queen and we are going to kick some serious ass." I shook my head. _

"_If you say so, Scourge." _

"_Well, that is if you're able to put up with me and my stupid ideas for a couple more years." His proud smile had fallen, leaving his attractive – even for an 11 year old – face solemn. I frowned as I grabbed his hand. _

"_Your ideas aren't stupid, Scourge. You just have big dreams and its okay to have big dreams" _

"_You think so?" He asked as he looked up at me, his eyes wide with surprise. I smiled and nodded. _

"_If anyone can accomplish big dreams, it's you." He smiled as he gave my hand a squeeze. _

"_We're going to be best friends forever, right," he asked. I nodded. _

"_Forever and ever." His charismatic smile grew before he pulled me into a tight hug. _

I blinked a couple times as the vision faded away. My heart sunk down a bit more as my old emotions sizzled back to life – in the slightest bit anyway. Nostalgia rang over me as my implicit mind took notice of my environment and the boy whom I was with. He was staring at me now, waiting patiently for me to sit beside him. I blushed softly as I averted my eyes to the ground. I sat down beside him on the rock, turning my eyes to the familiar view I'd seen in my vision. Scourge stayed silent beside me. I glanced up at him to see that he had turned his attention back to the sky, a content smile on his face. The wind blew softly, caressing my face. It also blew his scent closer to me, awakening my implicit mind even more so.

"How are you," Scourge asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I…I'm good," I murmured, thrown off guard by his casual question.

"I heard…I heard you got a boyfriend."

"I…yes…" I glanced at him to see that his mouth has twisted in the slightest frown.

"May I see a picture?" He asked as he turned his blue topaz eyes to me.

"Um, sure, I guess." I dug my phone out of my dress pocket and turned to the most recent picture of Sonic and me at Disney World. I had my Minnie Mouse ears on while he had his own Mickey ones on. We were smiling, the Cinderella Castle standing tall behind us. I reluctantly handed my phone to Scourge. He stared at the picture for a moment, his face void of emotion. I wondered what was going through his head, if he were angry or sad. It was killing me to just hear such silence from him. A part of me wondered if he even had a solid thought process at all.

"Does he make you happy," he asked lowly.

"Yes." Scourge handed me back my phone before turning his full attention to me. His eyes analyzed my face before lowering to my body. They didn't linger there for long before they raised themselves back up to my face. He slowly raised his hand and reached out towards my face. Without thinking, I flinched away from his touch causing him to blatantly frown. "Why did you bring me up here," I asked him.

"Are you afraid of me," he asked, ignoring my question. I opened my mouth to tell him that I was but from the sorrow in his eyes, I couldn't bear to do that. A part of me couldn't bear to hurt his feelings. He knew my answer anyway. "I'm don't…I'm not going to hurt you, Amy." He shook his head. "I never intended to be of any harm to you. I just…I love you, Amy. I just wanted us to be together again. We promised that we'd never be apart. You do remember that promise somewhere, don't you? I mean, you still love me somewhere…don't you?"

"Somewhere," I murmured, choosing to be honest with him. If I wasn't then I wasn't sure how he was going to react. While he may have been calm at that moment, he still could have a mood swing. I wasn't too sure if he was mercurial or not but I knew that I wasn't trying to test it. Besides, his questions weren't hard – especially the previous one. The part of me that still remembered did love him but the person I was now didn't. She didn't know him nor did she trust him. All he was to her was a beautiful boy in her photo album who was once her best friend and was now someone even the old her may not have known.

"Somewhere," he repeated in a soft whisper. "I guess I can live with that…for now." He paused for another moment, his blue eyes still analyzing my face. He seemed as if he was studying me, absorbing my image as if he would have to take a test and draw my face perfectly. I could see the longing behind his eyes; I could see the lingering love he felt for me. But why? Why did he have to love me so much? Why couldn't he have let me go?

My phone began to ring in my pocket, causing me to jump. Scourge didn't make any sudden movements; he just lowered his gaze to my pocket. I dug my phone out of my pocket to see that Adrian was calling me. Crap. I realized that I hadn't come straight home like I usually did nor had I told anyone that I was staying after school. Plus Scourge did mention that Adrian had seen him. He was probably losing his mind right now. I quickly answered the phone. "Hello," I answered, giving a cautious glance at Scourge. He was staring at me; his eyebrow raised the slightest bit.

"Where are you," Adrian asked immediately. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Adrian. I'm going to be home soon, okay?"

"Are you with him?" I opened my mouth to answer but Adrian spoke again before I could. "Where the hell are you? Don't tell me you let him take you somewhere you don't know. You can't trust him!"

"Adrian, calm down, please. I'm okay. I'm going to be home soon, I promise."

"Please come home, Ames. Please…"

"I'm going to leave right now, okay. Just don't lose your sanity over this; I'm coming home now."

"Okay… I love you."

"I love you too, Adrian." I hung up the phone as my heart sunk in my chest. My poor, traumatized little brother. What had he gone through to make him distrust Scourge so much? What had Scourge done to him? What was he going to do to me?

"You promised to take me home," I reminded Scourge who now had a small frown on his face. He crinkled his eyebrows together the slightest bit, causing a crease between them.

"Is that what you really want?" He asked.

"Yes." He stared at me for a moment before nodding his head.

"Fine," he said simply. He got off the rock and held out his hand to me. I ignored his hand and helped myself down. He frowned at me as I did so but I ignored him again and walked down to the car. I heard him sigh before his footsteps began to follow after me. The ride home was silent but not in a content way. I could practically feel Scourge's frustration and irritation with me. While I couldn't read his mind, his tension was easy to read. It wasn't hard to figure out why he was frustrated. I mean, I wasn't opening up to him in the way that he expected. However, he did already seem to know about my loss of memory. How? I wasn't sure. But maybe he had already expected my hesitancy towards him; maybe he just didn't expect how bad it really was going to be.

He drove to my house without asking me for directions. The first thing that popped into my mind was that he may have been stalking me or Adrian or something. Or his spies had given him my address. The first thought, however, sent a shiver down my spine. I hated to think that he may have seen Sonic and seen how happy he made me. I wasn't sure if Scourge had jealousy issues or not but I didn't want him to hurt my boyfriend. I loved him too much for him to get hurt.

"I would advise you not to make the situation complicated," Scourge said once we were parked in front of my house.

"What do you mean by that," I asked as I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion. Scourge turned the ignition off before turning his blue eyes to me.

"I mean that my patience is already gone." He raised his hand again and reached out towards me. This time I didn't flinch away so he actually got to caress my face. His touch was softer than a feather and left behind tingles on my skin. My implicit mind burned with happiness at the familiar feel. "I want you…and I will do anything to get you." His voice had dropped to a whisper as he said this, sending a shiver down my spine. He pulled his hand away as he turned his gaze back to the road. "Sleep tight, Amy." I stared at him for a moment, confused by his strange gestures. Then I got out the car and basically ran into my house.

As soon as I shut the front door behind me, I felt Adrian's slightly muscular arms wrap tightly around me. His hug nearly knocked the breath out of me but I returned it nonetheless. "I'm okay," I assured my brother. "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me…he doesn't want to hurt me."

"How…? When did he…?"

"I don't know, Adrian. I don't know. But what I do know is that we're going to be okay. We are going to be just fine." My brother picked his head up from my shoulder to look me in the eyes. I immediately saw the raw fear and torture that I used to see in his emeralds when we were first reunited. God, he was so scared…so broken. I put my hand on his cheek and rubbed my thumb against his cheekbone. "I will not let anything happen to you. Okay, Adrian? I promise that he's not going to hurt you again…I won't let that happen. Okay?" My brother nodded before hugging me tighter against him.

That night, I slept in his bed with him, holding him tightly as he slept. He had turned into the scared, small boy that he had once been before we had been turned. His blurred flashes of hiding and listening to Scourge wandering around the house invaded my mind as he slept. However, those visions weren't the ones that worried me. The ones that scared me were the images of my unconscious, bleeding body that Scourge kept carrying around. He kept telling my brother that I was going to be fine…that we were all going to be. Adrian had trusted his words and the last vision I saw was Adrian being kept captive in a dark, overly crowded room. He was mentally alone and emotionally abandoned. He didn't know where I or Scourge were and that fact scared him halfway to death. Eventually he did find Scourge but he never found me. He assumed I was dead…

His visions brought tears to my eyes. I tried to contain my tears; I tried to be strong for him. Yet, I couldn't help but to let a couple of tears slip from my eyes. My poor, poor little brother. He hadn't deserved whatever he'd gone through. He didn't deserve to be changed into a vampire. He deserved to rest in peace if anything. He deserved peace.

The next morning, I drove Adrian and me to school. We got up early in the morning to get dressed, ate breakfast, and were on our way. Adrian seemed tense as we drove to school. I wished that I could make him feel better but I knew that there was nothing I really could do. Adrian had to battle his own internal demons; I couldn't do it for him.

Cream wasn't at her locker when I reached my own causing me to raise an eyebrow. Usually she was always there before me…unless she decided to have a small make out session with Tails before school started. I shrugged her absence off as her being with her boyfriend.

"Hey Amy," I heard Scourge say. I practically jumped three feet high at the sound before turning to look at him. He was leaning against the locker next to mine with a grin on his face and his blue eyes filled with mischief. I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"What are you doing," I quickly asked before looking around.

"Being friendly. Is that a crime?"

"My boyfriend _cannot _see you." Scourge tilted his head at me.

"Why not? Did you tell him about me?"

"Yes. Now get out of here before he shows up."

"You seemed worried," Scourge said as his grin grew. "How much about me did you tell him?"

"Look, I'm trying to partially save you here. He's a hunter and he will kill you if he sees you."

"Hmm then he must not know about you," Scourge whispered before turning his eyes over my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder to see Sonic approaching me, his light green eyes sending daggers to Scourge. He immediately grabbed me and pulled me back a couple of inches away from Scourge. My old best friend grinned at my boyfriend.

"So you must be Sonic; it's such a pleasure to finally meet you," Scourge said, his voice holding an underlying bitterness to it. Sonic's glare hardened.

"And you must be Scourge; how unpleasant it is to actually meet you," Sonic replied, his voice the coldest I'd ever heard it. He was staring Scourge down, practically stabbing him to death in his mind. There was also an underlying look of confusion though, as if something was throwing him off. He seemed to ignore what feeling he was experiencing though and kept his mind on the situation at hand. "I highly suggest that you stay away from my girlfriend."

"Or else what? I'd love to see you try one of your fancy weapons on me. I'll love it even more when I end up using them on you."

"Scourge," I said firmly. His blue eyes went to me and the slight wildness that had grown in them vanished. "Please leave." He stared at me for a moment before glancing at Sonic whose arm was wrapped tightly around me.

_He's not going to love you, _his voice said in my mind as he slowly turned and began to walk away. The statement sent a sharp pain in my stomach. I had been trying so hard not to even think about what Sonic would do when he found out. I had been doing so well at it too.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you," Sonic asked as he turned me towards him. His hands went to my face, caressing my face. His amber eyes scrutinized my body, looking for any possible wounds. "Why is he here? What does he want?"

"I don't know," I murmured. "But I do know that I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Amy, don't be afraid to tell me if he hurt you."

"He didn't hurt me, Sonic. I'm fine, I promise. I'm going to be fine." Sonic let out a sigh as he pulled me into a tight hug. He kissed the crown of my head softly.

"I hate the thought of him putting his hands on you," he whispered into my hair.

"He's not going to."

"He better not. If he does then I'll chop them right the hell off."

"Sonic," I murmured. "I'm going to be fine. Don't worry." I leaned up to kiss his sweet lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

My morning classes went by uneventfully. The teachers droned on, my friends entertained all of us with our random conversations, and Sonic practically refused to leave my side. Sonic's protectiveness wasn't new at all, honestly. He never liked leaving my side. However, he did seem to be a bit…off for the rest of the day. He kept staring at me in a way that I wasn't particularly used to nor did I like. It was as if he were trying to read my mind or something. He also kept staring at Blaze, analyzing her face as if something was wrong with it. My stomach clenched at the thought that he might be figuring out that I had been lying about what had happened to me. My accident was supposed to have happened four years ago which meant that Scourge should be younger… I knew Sonic wasn't stupid. He was smart enough to see the difference from the younger pictures he'd seen to our older selves now. I just hoped that he was stupid enough not to question it. I didn't want to lose him…not with Scourge around…not when I was beginning to truly need him.

As Sonic and I were walking to lunch together, I saw an unexpected sight. Together in a small, secluded corner of the hallway between the lockers were Blaze and Scourge. He was hovering over her, a cold, almost scary expression on his face. Blaze was practically pressed against the wall and was staring up at him with wide, frightened eyes. My stomach dropped at the thought of him hurting her. "You alright," I heard Sonic ask.

"Yea. Do you mind going on ahead? I have to use the bathroom," I told him.

"Okay." He leaned down to kiss my lips before taking my bagged lunch out of my hands. I shot him a smile before he continued on to the cafeteria. I quietly moved closer to the corner in which my two fellow vampires were talking and tuned into their conversation.

"I thought I specifically told you to do something…I don't know whether I should be angry or disappointed that you didn't follow through with it," I heard Scourge say, his voice cool yet dark. It was a big change from the relaxed, calm tone he had used with me the day before. His new tone actually sent shivers down my spine. I hoped he'd never have to use that tone with me; I might cry if he ever did.

"I know what my orders were but they were harder to follow than you think. Amy's still just as independent as she used to be. She's been doing what she wants and she's going to keep doing it," Blaze replied, keeping her voice leveled.

"Yea, I see that," Scourge said dryly.

"Can you please just be happy that I kept her safe?"

"Safe," Scourge hissed. "You let her fall in love with a fucking hunter and you think that you kept her safe. He could've killed her!"

"I know, I know and trust me, I tried to keep her away but…"

"But what?"

"They…they have a connection to each other. It's so strong…so strange… I couldn't stop whatever it was from pulling her to him. I tried multiple times, I swear but she didn't want to fight against it."

"Because that's the human she's destined to protect," Scourge said bitterly. "I felt their connection earlier. It makes me sick. She's lucky I don't rip his fucking head off for putting his hands on her."

"Scourge, you can't harm him. I know you don't want to hear this but Amy loves him. She gets scared at the simple thought of him tripping over his own two feet; imagine what she would do if you were to hurt him. She'd never forgive you. If you want her back then you have to leave the human unharmed."

"I'll try not to…harm him." He sighed. "Just keep doing as I asked and keep an eye on her. She doesn't trust me. I don't know what the hell you told her but it's obvious you scared her away."

"She deserved to know the truth, Scourge."

"She deserved to live and I gave that to her. I gave her that second chance, not you. So don't tell me what she deserves because if it weren't for me then you would've been dead too. Now, do as I say this time and make sure that she doesn't get herself into any more trouble. Understand?"

"Yes… I'm sorry."

"Tell her that," Scourge said. "We'll talk later."

I quietly crept away from the corner, seeming as if I was going amongst my business. I looked back only once to see Scourge exiting from the small space but he wasn't looking in my direction – thank God. I bet Blaze walked out not too long after him but I didn't want to see her. My heart felt a strong burn of betrayal at the thought of her working with him. She knew exactly what was going on with those spies and Scourge. She was probably the one who sent for them in the first place. But how did I not notice? I had felt her emotions, heard her thoughts – she'd felt bad that she'd given me away to Scourge. So why now was she working with him? Why was he so worried about me anyway? His feelings couldn't possibly be that strong, could they? Or was his new Bana genes just making them that way and mixing them with some crazy?

Sonic was waiting for me near the cafeteria, his lime eyes filled with concern. I hadn't even thought about concealing whatever expression was on my face. I didn't even think that it could be that bad. Apparently it was since Sonic quickly walked up to me and grabbed me into a hug. At his soft touch, I felt tears prick at my eyes. I wasn't sure why I was crying but I did know that my emotions were heading towards a haywire state. I was just so confused and caught off guard by everything. First with Scourge showing up out of nowhere and then realizing that my best friend had betrayed me. I knew it wasn't going to be long before something else terrible happened.

"What's wrong, baby," Sonic asked as my tears fell slowly. He stroked my hair before grabbing my chin and tilting my face upward so that our eyes could meet. I stared into his sincere lime eyes and my heart broke a tiny bit. Scourge's harsh words from earlier that morning rang in my head. He really wasn't going to love me if he knew… But I couldn't lie to him anymore. I'd been hurting him for so long without any intentions to. I had to start telling him the truth, whether he would accept it or not.

"Blaze…she…she was in on it," I murmured. Sonic crinkled his eyebrows together.

"In on what? What's going on? Does this have to do with your freak of an ex-friend?"

"Yes. But we can't talk about it here…"

"Fine, I'll take you back to my house." My heart dropped. Oh no. His house had more than enough weapons; if I told him the truth there then he was definitely going to kill me. But I couldn't tell him to take me back to my house. He might feel threatened there and really attack me. I'd have to take a chance with him; I'd have to pray that he cared about me enough not to rip my head off.

"Right now?" He nodded. "But we can do it later. We can't just ditch school."

"Well that's exactly what we're going to do. It's not like we're doing work anyway. Come on, let's get you somewhere safe." He held me close to him as he began to walk me out of the building. We easily sneaked past the security and made it out to his car. I curled up in the passenger seat, inhaling the sweet scent of him that lingered in the car. I didn't know when I'd get to smell it again – if ever.

He quickly drove us back to his house. There, he carried me up to his room and lay me down on his bed. I sat up against his headboard while he sat by my legs. He reached his hand out to caress my face, his lime eyes filling with an emotion that I couldn't describe nor name. "I wanna ask you something but…but I'm afraid of the answer," he said.

"Ask me," I replied softly.

"Who are you," he asked. "Ever since we met, I've been wondering that question but now…now I'm just even more confused. Ever since I killed that sick vampire who was harassing you, I feel like you haven't been completely honest with me. It feels as if you've been skirting around the real reason why he was stalking you. Now the same guy who caused you to lose your memory is back and he doesn't…he doesn't look as if he were turned into a vampire four years ago. He looks older…he looks our age." He shook his head. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Sonic," I murmured as I raised my hand to stroke his face. I looked over his beautifully structured face, taking in his almond shaped light green eyes and his lips that I loved so much. God, how was I going to do this to him? "Promise me that after I tell you…you won't hate me. Please." Sonic immediately pulled away from my touch as his eyes hardened.

"Who the hell are you," he snapped at me.

"I…I never lied to you about who I was. My name is Amy Rose. I like reading, hanging out with my friends, and fantasizing over love. I'm soft spoken, sassy at times, and I try to be a sweetheart. I never lied to you about that. I never lied to you…I just left out a few details."

"Like what?" Tears brimmed my eyes as I looked down to my lap. My fingers intertwined tightly together as my anxiety rose to its peak.

"Like the fact that I…I used to be normal. I used to live here in Orlando. I used to be just another normal teenager. I was popular, I had friends, I had nice parents; I had a good life. That was…that was until the vampires raided our town. They…they had been raiding around for a long time before they reached us but our mayor kept hoping that they would skip over us. Little did he know that they were planning to make us one of their biggest hits. I'm….I'm not completely sure what happened but somehow Scourge was changed into a vampire. From there, his new genes caused him to…think differently. So, he attacked my home and he…he changed both Adrian and I." I glanced up to see that Scourge's face had immediately fell into a glare, a newfound hatred filling in his eyes. "When he changed me, my body fell into a coma-like state that lasted for twenty years. During that time, I don't know what happened. All I knew was that when I woke up, I had no memory of my old life or the people in it and that I had to start all over. I had to try to be normal again…" I glanced up at Sonic to see that he wasn't looking at me anymore. His livid eyes were staring down at the floor, his hands balling into fists at his sides. His buzzing but unreadable thoughts were flying faster than usual and I could tell that he was in a state of major anger. I looked down again, my guilt beginning to build up in my chest. "I'm sorry. I…I never meant to hurt you."

"You…you fucking bitch," he growled under his breath. He suddenly shot up from his seat and turned his livid eyes to me. I stared up at me, my guilt quickly replaced by my fear. From the expression on his face, I could tell that he was about to stab me halfway to death. Hopefully I would be able to get out of here before he could. "I shared my entire life with you," he yelled. "I told you about my mom, about my father, even about my fucking uncle! I showed you a side of me that I swear doesn't exist and this is what you do! You were a vampire this whole god damned time and you never fucking told me! Even after I told you how much I hate your kind! God, you're just like the rest of them! You're all the same! All deceiving hateful monsters who don't deserve to live! Jesus, I hate myself for even loving you!"

"Sonic," I murmured as I got off his bed. I reached out my hand to touch him but he backed away. As if he knew he were going to need it, he whipped out a small gun from his waistband. I knew that it was filled with wooden bullets. He wouldn't have pulled it on me if it weren't.

"Don't fucking come near me! I'll shoot you! I swear to God, I'll kill you!" I put my hands up, glancing at the gun he was pointing at me. In his livid eyes, I suddenly saw the traumatized boy that he was. I saw the boy who was forced to kill his uncle out of self-defense. I saw the boy who grew up resenting vampires for taking away his mother and his father without killing one of them. I saw the boy who swore to avenge his mother by killing every vampire he could find.

"Please," I murmured as tears began to fall from my eyes. "Please don't hurt me. I'm sorry, Sonic. I swear I never meant to hurt you. I love you."

"Shut up! Don't say that! You don't love me! You bloodsuckers don't love anyone but yourselves!"

"That's not true. Please, Sonic, just put down the gun."

"Why? So that you can kill me? Or do you want to change me into a vampire just so that I can hate myself? Is that what this was about? Was this all a little game to you? Hey, let's play with the little boy whose mother was killed by a vampire! Is that what the fuck this was?"

"No, it was never like that Sonic."

"Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!" He suddenly pulled the trigger on the gun. I screamed as I ducked down to dodge it. I barely missed it due to my fear slowing down my reflexes. The bullet had skimmed right over my head, his aim right for the middle of my head. I put my hands on my ears as I fell onto my knees. My tears began to fall harder as I looked up at him. His gun was still pointed at me, lower now due to my position. His eyes were filled a hatred that I'd never seen before – one that scared the living daylights out of me. God, what I had I done?

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Please. Please; I'm sorry. Just don't shoot…don't shoot again." Sonic narrowed his eyes at me, his eyes softening the slightest bit. "I'm sorry," I told him.

"I shouldn't let you live," he murmured. He slowly walked closer to me, his eyes constantly scrutinizing my body to make sure I didn't move. Once he was close enough, he pressed the mouth of the gun against my head. I closed my eyes as the fear in my chest completely exploded. I called out to the darkness, praying that it would take me into his welcoming mist. I promised that I would stay with it forever if it would just take me under its wing again. I promised that I would never part with it again if it just swooped down and saved me. However, the darkness never answered my calls. Sonic never pulled the trigger. Instead he took the gun away from my forehead and got down on his knees in front of me. I opened my eyes to look at him once he was at my level to see that his face was crushed in a mixture of sadness and anger. His light green eyes were analyzing my face, absorbing it as if he were never going to see it again. "This isn't over," he whispered coldly. "You're not off the hook. I'll take care of you… Now get out. Get out and don't come near me or my family ever again. You understand?"

"What do you mean by 'it's not over'?" I asked.

"I said get the fuck out," he snapped at me as he stood up and put the gun to my head. I held up my hands as I got to my feet. I slowly backed away from him and his livid expression until I got to the doorway. Then I used my vampire speed to bust out of there. I ran all the way back home, my tears falling as I did so. When I finally got home, I crawled under my bed and I didn't move for a good two weeks.

For the first three days of my small hiatus, I cried until my eyes couldn't supply any more tears. I didn't really think as I cried. The only thought that could run through my mind was the fact that I'd lost him…I'd lost Sonic. My heart couldn't take the pain that surfaced from that thought as it ran through my head over and over again. My chest physically ached from the emotional pain I was suffering. That and the fact that I didn't want to drink any blood. My thirst added on to the pain but I welcomed it with open arms. I wanted to hurt and suffer and be miserable. I felt that way so why not just add on to the physical? I didn't think it was going to matter anyway.

My family didn't try to make me go to school and after the first few days, Adrian stopped going so that he could look after me. My family thought that once I had got my crying out then maybe I would go back to normal. They were wrong. Once I was done with bawling my eyes out, I just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. I didn't want to talk to anyone or read or watch TV or anything. I just wanted to lay there and hate myself. My family immediately got worried by my actions and had Adrian babysit me. He constantly tried to talk to me and read to me but I ignored him. At one point, I snapped at him to get out of my room; I wanted to be alone. He had stared at me with wide, surprised eyes before nodding his head and telling me to just yell if I needed him. I never yelled for him.

Blaze constantly rang up my cell phone that first day but I just let the stupid thing die. I didn't really want to talk to her. Plus I didn't want to be tempted to text Sonic or call him and try to make things better. There was no point when I knew things weren't going to get better with him. He hated me for what I was and for the fact that I had lied to him. If I called, that would only piss him off more. I was lucky that I was moved fast enough before or else I would've been dead. Sure, he let me go but I had an idea of what he meant when he told me it wasn't over. He was going to attempt to kill me again. He wasn't going to let his hatred towards me go.

Eventually I did get back to my normal self. Once I came to terms with what had happened, I decided to accept it. There was nothing I could do. I would just have to live with the consequences of the choices I'd made. So with that, I began to read and drink blood again. I emotionally got myself back together and practiced smiling in the mirror. About a week after my new resolution, I tried to go to school. However, as soon as I got in there Blaze was at my side.

"Where have you been," she asked. "Why haven't you answered my calls? Sonic won't talk to me but there's rumors that you guys broke up? What's going on?"

"We broke up," I said bitterly. "Go tell Scourge that I hope he's happy now." Blaze's eyes widened as she caught on to what I was hinting at.

"Amy, I can explain."

"Honestly, Blaze, I don't want to hear it right now." With that, I sped up my walking and merged into the crowd. I walked quickly to my locker where Cream switching out her books. I didn't say anything when I reached my own locker. Cream looked to me, her sapphire eyes filled with curiosity and pity. She watched me struggle with my locker combination before she spoke.

"Are you okay," she asked softly. I looked up at her, surprised at the fact that she was speaking to me. She shot me a small, empathetic smile. In her mind, I saw a flash of Sonic venting to her, going on about what had happened.

"No," I murmured. "Not really." Cream quickly glanced around the hallway before walking closer to me. Then she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I was confused by her kindness at first but I relaxed under her warmth and returned the hug.

"I know you didn't ask for this," she whispered in my ear. "But it's going to be okay. Just…just hang in there. I'm still here if you need me." As we pulled out of the hug, she shot me a soft smile.

"Thank you," I told her. She squeezed my hands before a tanned hand reached out and practically pulled her away from me. I looked to where the hand had come from to see Sonic. He didn't look at me as he continued to drag Cream away despite her protests of how she wasn't done at her locker. I frowned after the pair, one of the stitches I'd put into my heart loosening. I didn't have time to dwell on the feeling before Scourge's familiar smell rang through my nose.

"Hey you," he said with a casual grin as he leaned against Cream's locker. "For a moment there, I almost thought you and your brother fled."

"What do you want Scourge," I asked wearily. Scourge stared at me for a moment, his eyebrows crinkling together in confusion.

"You're sad," he stated. He reached out to touch my face but I flinched away from him. "Amy-"

"Don't touch me. This is all your damn fault anyway," I snapped before slamming my locker door shut. Scourge's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Before he could say anything, though, I turned away from him and began walking back to the front doors. I regretted even trying to go back to school. I was done trying to keep up the normal act. I was done with hiding my vampire self. I was done with living the vampire life even.

Once out of the school, I just began to walk. I didn't think as I did so. I just let my implicit mind lead me to wherever I used to go during my mortal life when I was feeling down. I just wanted to go somewhere safe and warm and away from anything that would remind me of the wounds I'd had to suffer.

My implicit mind lead me to a small meadow that lay in a huge park near my neighborhood. It was secluded and was hidden by a ton of bushes. However, behind the bushes was a beautiful array of colorful flowers and fresh green grass. Almost as soon as I stepped into the meadow, a vision swam over me.

"_Mommy, do you think I'm pretty," I asked as I stroked my mother's long, auburn hair. _

"_Of course I do. I think you're the most prettiest girl in the world." _

"_Then why do boys tease me all the time? Why won't the girls talk to me? It feels like Scourge and Blaze are my only friends." _

"_Boys tease you because they like you and girls get jealous easily, you'll learn that as you get older." _

"_But Scourge doesn't tease me but he likes me." My mother looked over her shoulder at me and raised an eyebrow. _

"_And how do you know that?" _

"_Because Scourge told Blaze and Blaze told me." My mother shook her head._

"_That's because Scourge, unlike most boys your age, has common sense." She turned her emerald eyes away from me to look at two butterflies who were coming our way. I held my hand out in which the orange one perched down on it. I stared at its slightly flapping wings as it rested on my hand. "Seems like this butterfly likes you," my mother said. _

"_I guess so." _

"_Sometimes butterflies remind me of you." _

"_How so?" _

"_Because butterflies are caterpillars first who bloom into these beautiful creatures and fly to where its dream is. Right now, you're just a little caterpillar but you're growing into a beautiful young woman. One day you'll be following your own heart and dreams, wherever that leads you. Just remember that wherever that destination is: I'm never too far and I will always be proud of where it has taken you." She kissed the top of my head. "I love you, Amy." _

"_I love you too, Mommy." _

Tears brimmed my eyes at the vision but they didn't fall. My tears were done – for good I thought. My young, naïve heart was done with crying over everything. It was too wounded and now too strong to sit around and cry over things it couldn't control. I'd have to live with scars that my wounds left. I'd have to forget about everyone and just start doing what's best for me. I had to do as my late mother said and follow my dreams. At least then, she would be proud of me.

I stayed in the meadow for a couple of hours, watching the butterflies and caressing the different flowers. When I finally did go home, Scourge was sitting on my doorstep. For once his mouth was turned into a subtle line instead of a grin and his eyes weren't the happy ones that I'd seen before. "So it's all my fault, huh," he asked as I approached him. "I never asked for this either."

"I'm sorry," I apologized as I walked past him. "I'm just upset." I tried to go in the house but he put his hand on my leg. I looked over at him to see that he was getting to his feet. He reached his hand out to caress my face.

"Don't be. It's his loss. He…he didn't deserve you anyway." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe he didn't. But who says you deserve me either," I said coldly. Scourge's eyebrows shot up as his face overtook an expression of complete shock. I opened the front door and slammed it in his face, leaving him to think about what I'd said.

**Review if you wish **


	21. Careful Who You Trust

**All Characters Belong to Sega/Archie except for my OCs.**

**Chapter 19: Careful Who You Trust **

I gave up on going to school. After that day when I tried to go back, I just gave up on trying. A part of me felt as if it were right to just leave the mortal world alone for a while. Besides, I didn't want to be in Sonic's face all day. We were in more than enough classes together this year and I didn't think I could handle seeing his face every day when I knew that he no longer loved me. My heart had been through enough; it deserved a break so that it could heal. Sonic's heart probably also needed to recover. His betrayed expression when he had held the gun to my head had practically branded itself into my mind. It kept replaying over and over again, making me feel even guiltier each time. I wished that I could've held him and tried to make him understand. I wasn't a bad vampire; I didn't want to hurt him. I wished that I could make him understand how much I loved him…how much I needed him. I felt so alone without him. Since the moment I bolted out of his house, there was just a hole in my heart that I knew only he could fill. But he never would…not again.

Blaze continuously rang up my phone for the next couple of days. It was easy to ignore her for a while before my loneliness started to eat at me. I also began to rationalize with myself. Blaze had given me a bad impression of Scourge plus she had protected me in the best way a friend could. Surely, there had to be more to the story of Scourge trying to order her around. From Blaze's independent personality, I knew that she wasn't going to be bossed around that easily. Plus, a part of me missed her. She was my best friend and with my breakup still fresh in my mind, I needed her support. So, with that being said I actually did answer one of her calls and invited her over to talk.

She immediately came over after we got off the phone and grabbed me into a bear hug when I opened the front door. "I'm sorry, Amy. I'm so sorry," she said as her arms tightened around me. A small bit of my heartache went away at the feel of her familiar arms and the warmth of the care she had for me. I wrapped my arms around her as well and squeezed her tightly. I had missed her.

We went up to my bedroom where we both plopped down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. We lay there for a while, the silence brooding over us as we decided which one of us was going to speak first and what we were going to say. Blaze decided to step up to the plate and got to the explanation I was curious about. "He threatened to kill Olivia and I if we didn't do what he said," Blaze said lowly. "I don't know how he found us since we were living with our new caregivers but he did. It wasn't long after we'd all be turned…maybe ten years at the most. I remember he showed up on our doorstep and he was yelling at me about where you were and how you'd disappeared because someone had taken you away and such. I'd never seen him so angry before… I couldn't let him hurt Olivia. Me, I don't care about but she doesn't deserve to die."

"I understand. I'd do anything to protect Adrian too. What…what exactly were the orders he gave you?"

"First it was to find your location and get in close proximity to you. I got that done when our caregivers got into contact and you guys moved here to Orlando. I reported back to him to inform him that I'd complied with his request. Then he wanted me to bring you to him. I refused to do that on all accounts. I had been stupid enough to do it once when I didn't know what the damage would be. Olivia told me what Adrian had shared with me about his experiences when he was with Scourge. That boy has every right to be traumatized, really. He went through Hell. That's why I couldn't give you to him. I didn't trust him with your safety. He got irritated, as expected, but he wasn't angry. He just waved it off and told me that he'd get someone else to do it. He then gave me orders to keep an eye on you and to make sure you didn't fall in love or date anyone else. In his mind, you're still his. He was more than just upset when he found out about you dating Sonic."

"Then he must be pretty happy now that it's over," I murmured. Blaze's hand reached out to grab mine and give it a soft squeeze.

"Do you wanna talk about what happened?"

"He's…he's a hunter. I knew he was a hunter since a month before prom and then on but I tried to ignore it. I tried to ignore what he was going to do when he found out what I was. I could've carried on without telling him if Scourge hadn't come to town. When Sonic saw him, he put two and two together and forced me to tell him who I really was – or what I was per to say. Then he tried to kill me." Blaze squeezed my hand tighter. "He couldn't bear to love a vampire."

"I'm so sorry, Amy."

"Don't be. This isn't anyone's fault except my own. I dug my own hole with Sonic. I should've been honest with him from the get go. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt this bad." Blaze shifted closer to me so that she could wrap me up into another hug.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"It's okay," I told her as I returned the hug. We hung out for the rest of the day, watching movies and watching stupid reality television shows. We didn't talk much but her presence helped make me feel a bit better. I didn't want her to leave when her caregiver called and told her it was time to come home. I was a bit afraid to be alone again. However, it wasn't too bad. The silence wasn't as depressing and soul sucking as it was before. Instead it was actually sort of…peaceful. I had done my time moping; now it was time to just get myself together.

I picked up one of my favorite, old fashioned romance novels and helped myself to a hot cup of tea. Then, I curled up in my bed and began to dive into a world of fancy dresses and charming rich men. While I had read the novel many times before, it never failed to intrigue me. I loved the story of the poor girl who is turned into a beautiful socialite and manages to capture the heart of the wealthiest bachelor in the state. I loved the theme of finding genuineness and purity between materialism. I also just absolutely adored the old school chivalry and gentlemen like acts that the main love interest takes to woo the main character. It was just absolutely adorable.

Just as I was getting towards my favorite scene of the book, the part where the two lovers finally express their feelings and kiss, I heard a soft tap on my window. My heart immediately skipped a beat as a memory of Sonic throwing rocks at my window during the summer rang through my mind. He did that frequently in the middle of the night to wake me up and have me go on a drive with him to the baseball field where we'd lay on the hood of his car, covered by a blanket, and watch the stars. While I doubted that it was Sonic at my window, the thought was still nice.

I looked up to see Scourge dangling at my window, his blue eyes staring at me with admiration. I stared back at him for a moment as I mentally debated if I should push him off or let him in. While the first did sound good, I knew that I should probably start being nicer to him. He hadn't done anything wrong to me personally but I sure wasn't letting him anywhere near Adrian. He also had left me alone for a few days. I guessed that maybe I should let him talk for a little while and just see what he wanted. I could offer him that much.

"What are you doing here," I asked him as I opened my window. He pulled himself up so that he could swing his legs inside. The rest of his body followed and before I knew it, he was hovering over me. I hadn't realized how tall Scourge was. I had been so used to Sonic's height that I hadn't noticed that Scourge was probably about his height or taller. It didn't show though since Scourges body was just as muscular as Sonic. Plus his face was just as handsome…I guessed.

"Get dressed," he told me. "We're going out." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I did that once already."

"And did I hurt you?" I frowned. "Exactly. Now please get dressed. I want to go somewhere with you."

"Scourge, I don't want to go anywhere with you. Please just respect my wishes."

"I will once you stop testing me. I've spent a great deal of time looking for you."

"And now that you've found me: what do you want?" Scourge crinkled his eyebrows together as he opened his mouth to speak. He hesitated for a moment before taking a step closer to me. He then cautiously reached his hands out so that he could cup my face. My implicit mind burned with satisfaction once more at his touch but my new mind tried hard to fight against it. His touch wasn't the one I craved…

"I want us to be together," he whispered sincerely, his blue eyes soft with care. "I did all of this just so that we could be together…" He leaned his face closer, his lips pursing the slightest bit. I quickly realized that he was trying to kiss me and stepped back out of his grasp. Scourge sighed in frustration as I did so. He ran his hand through his hair. "Why won't you love me," he asked lowly. "I…I don't understand. I did so much for you – for us…for our future."

"Scourge, I get that you sacrificed a lot for us to be together but…we're not the same people we used to be. We're both totally different people now. I'm not the girl you remember nor are you the guy that a part of me remembers."

"The vampire traits only change but so much, Amy," he said, his voice becoming dry. He took his hand off his head as he turned his blue eyes back to me. He looked me up and down, his blue eyes analyzing my body and face. "But you know that's not the reason you won't open up to me."

"Scourge, listen to me. Can you do that?" He nodded. "You kidnapped me, you left my brother traumatized and scared out of his mind, you had me threatened and almost kidnapped again and now you're expecting me to just open my heart to you when it's broken and when I barely even know who you are. I know that you remember everything but sadly it's not the same for me. I've had to start all over and I've just lost everything and…it's all just happening to fast." Scourge tilted his head at me.

"The hunter," he murmured. "He hurt you…didn't he?"

"Did you listen to what I just said?"

"Yes and I believe that it's all bullshit. This isn't about me, Amy. Maybe if he hadn't come into the picture it would have but you know that it's not about me. He hurt you, didn't he?" I stared at him, trying to come up with a good lie. I wanted to tell him that Sonic hadn't hurt me at all; this was all Scourge's fault. It had always been his fault. But I couldn't do that and Scourge knew that. His blue eyes could see the pain I was harboring. He knew that I was going through motions that had absolutely nothing to do with him.

"You should go," I murmured.

"What did he do to you?" I shook my head.

"Scourge please leave."

"Are you okay? You're not severely hurt are you?"

"No; please leave. Please. I don't want to talk about it." Scourge stared at me for a moment before raising his hands.

"I'm sorry, Amy. Is there…is there anything I can do to help?"

"You can leave." Scourge seemed disappointed at my request, his mouth turning into a small frown. He cautiously stepped closer to me before wrapping his arms around me. He held me close against his firm chest and nicely sculpted abdomen. I closed my eyes as my implicit mind reminisced of what it had felt like to run my hands over his body. His familiar scent swarmed around me, easing my mind a bit. Without realizing it, I relaxed in his grasp. I leaned my head against his chest as my mental weariness came over me.

Scourge noticed my calm state and gently picked me up off of my feet. I stay still in his grasp as he walked over to my bed and lay me down. He pulled the covers down and picked my legs up so that he could slide them under. I felt like a child as he tucked me into my bed and lay my head on the fluffiest part of the pillow. He handled me so gently, as if I were made of glass. I watched his face as he did so, taking notice of the softness that had overtaken his eyes. His mouth was turned into a gentle line, tight in concentration. He stroked my face when he was finished, his finger slowly tracing down my cheek. "Do you still want me to leave," he asked.

"No," I said as my implicit mind took over my voice. "I mean, if you don't want to…"

"I'll be gone when you wake up but I'll be back to check on you." He leaned down to kiss my forehead. "Sweet dreams, my love," he murmured against my skin. He turned out my light before disappearing into the darkness. While I wasn't able to see his physical appearance, I could feel his presence there; I could smell his scent. He was there watching over me. My implicit mind felt at ease with that thought as my eyes fluttered shut. That night, I felt him take ahold of my dreams and twist my nightmares into sweet memories of me and him at six years old, filled with innocent bliss and not having any cares in the world.

When I awoke the next morning, he really was gone. I didn't feel his presence nor could I smell him. His absence made my implicit mind sigh in sadness. My conscious mind did feel a bit better though. His presence had helped me in a way. I wasn't sure how but I couldn't bring myself to really analyze it. All I knew was that I was getting back on the right track; that had to be all that mattered.

After I ate breakfast and downed a bottle of blood, I decided to go out for a small shopping trip. I figured that picking out some new clothes may distract my still broken heart from replaying Sonic's haunting expression. I drove down to the mall where I walked around for a couple of hours and picked out a couple of new dresses for the forthcoming fall and winter. I also picked up some new shoes and in spur of the moment: I cut my hair. I didn't cut it super short nor was it a drastic cut. It had gotten so long to the point where it was about to reach my waist so I just cut it down so that it lay right at the small of my back.

From the mall I went to the small shopping center that held the bookstore. I shopped around there, buying nearly every interesting romance novel I could find. Then I headed to a small café in the same strip to have some lunch. There were tons of couples sitting around in the café, talking and laughing. It was late afternoon on a Saturday so I should've expected that. Sonic had taken me to this café once since he had wanted to hang out right after he'd gotten out of work. I had waited there for him for a couple minutes before he walked in, decked out in a fresh new pair of clothes and his hair messy from his quick change. The memory of how cute he looked brought a small smile on my face.

After ordering a small sandwich and a Chai latte, I sat down at a small booth near the corner. I ate quietly as I watched the mortals around me. I felt content with my seclusion yet I couldn't help but to long for a companion. I thought it would be nice to have someone to talk to while I sat there. While I wasn't particularly asking for Scourge to pop out of the blue, a small part of me didn't mind if he were the one sitting across from me.

Suddenly, between a sip of my latte, I caught of a whiff of the familiar scent of peaches and sandalwood that I missed so much. I looked up from over the rip of the cup to see Sonic walking inside, dressed in a simple tee and jeans. His eyes scanned the café for a moment before they landed on me, alone in the corner. Immediately, his eyes filled with the hatred that had surfaced weeks before. I held his gaze, my lips struggling not to turn into a frown. Sally came in behind him, dressed in her usual short skirt and exposing top. I took a peek into her mind to see that she was buzzing with curiosity about what Sonic wanted to talk about. He had invited her out to lunch to talk and had made it clear that talking was all they were going to do. She doubted that since she knew Sonic and I had broken up. She was practically praying that he would get back together with her. Yet, she knew that he wasn't there to talk about that.

She glanced in my direction, sending me a dirty look. She then put her hand on Sonic's arm. "I'll go grab us a table," she told him. He nodded before murmuring something so low that even I couldn't hear him. She must've heard him though since she nodded and walked off towards an empty table. Sonic glanced at me one more time, his foot turning slightly as if he were considering walking my way. However, just as he took a step, Scourge suddenly appeared in the seat across from me. He was dressed in a simple black fitted, cotton plaid button up with jeans. His green hair was combed back out of his eyes, leaving their blueness out to everyone's exposure. Sonic seemed surprised but his sudden appearance. He scowled slightly before walking off towards the food counter.

"We should go," Scourge said lowly.

"Why," I asked.

"I don't like the way he looked at you. I don't trust him around you when you're alone. I can't tell what he's capable of. I don't want him to hurt you; I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he did."

"We'll be fine. We're in public. I doubt he'd try to shoot me with all of these people around. Hunters do have to be discreet, don't they?"

"Yes, yes they do. You seem to be recovering faster than I expected."

"Not really. I've just stopped moping." Scourge nodded in understanding.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Thanks." Scourge's lips pulled up into a small smile for a moment before it fell back down.

"So, I was thinking and I…I want to win back your trust – if that's possible. I'd also like to earn back your friendship. I've come to realize that what I did was a bit much considering that you have lost your memory and you don't remember me. But since I'm here now, I thought I could try to do things the right way…if you'll let me."

"Yea. I think I'd like that," I told him with a soft smile. He returned the smile, his eyes lighting up with happiness. I glanced at Sonic who was now sitting with Sonic to see that he was staring at me. His mouth was moving slightly as he spoke to his ex in a hushed tone. He looked away when he noticed I was staring back at him. I must've frowned as I looked back at Scourge since he was frowning as well.

"He still has your heart, doesn't he," he asked. I looked down as I nodded. "I remember when I used to have it," he murmured so low that I almost didn't hear him. "Would you like to talk about what happened?"

"It was…it was more my fault than his. I knew he was a hunter for more than a few months now and I…I kept deceiving him. He has every right to hate me. I lied to him…I misused his trust…I broke his heart."

"You can't put all the blame on yourself."

"There's no one else I can put the blame on, Scourge. No one told me to lie to him; I did that on my own account." I sighed. "Now I just have to live with that decision." Scourge frowned before slowly reaching out his hand. He gently grabbed mine and gave it a soft squeeze. My implicit mind once again went alive with life, buzzing with nostalgia and happiness. Again, his touch also brought a bit of ease to my conscious mind.

"You wanna come somewhere with me? I want to show you something? I swear I'm not kidnapping you." I glanced up at him to see that he now had a small smile on his face. I could see a bit of mischief had appeared in his eyes but not in a bad way. He was teasing me. I couldn't help but let my lips pull up into the smallest hint of a smile.

"Sure," I murmured. We both got up, causing Sonic's and Sally's gazes to shift to us. Vanessa's expression was wide with shock, causing me to think that he had told her what I was. Hopefully she wasn't part of a hunter family as well. If she was then he was digging my grave for me. From my actions back at his house, he probably thought that I didn't know how to fight off hunters. While I did know how, I was too caught up in my shame and plus I just didn't want to hurt him. I loved him too much to harm him.

Sonic's expression, on the other hand, was one of complete confusion and worry. One of his thoughts escaped from his head, confirming both emotions that showed on his face. _Why is she going with him? Where were they going? What was she doing with him? I thought he was bad for her… _his voice rang in my head. My heart clenched at the familiar sound. His accent still sent shivers down my spine as did his deep voice send tingles to my stomach. God, I missed it.

"Can I have your car keys," Scourge asked as we approached my red Chevrolet. I raised an eyebrow at him. He smiled mischievously. "Don't worry. I'm not a reckless driver."

"Please don't scratch my baby," I told him as I dug my keys out of my purse. I hesitated but I did hand him my keys. I got into the passenger seat while he got into the driver's seat. He adjusted my seat to his liking, muttering under his breath about how short I was, before actually beginning to drive off away from the café. We rode back to my neighborhood, past both Blaze's and I's houses, until we reached an huge red house that looked in mint condition. I stared at it in awe. Since it was at the end of the neighborhood, I had never seen it before. While a lot of the houses around my neighborhood were big, this had to be the biggest. It had huge white pillars out front that a big porch hid behind. The windows were curtained so you couldn't see the inside of the house but I could only guess how perfectly furnished it was in there.

"This is my old house," Scourge explained. "Come on; I'll give you a tour." I looked at him in confusion as he eagerly hopped out of the car. I got out as well and followed him to the front door.

"Don't people live here," I asked him.

"No," he said simply. He took a key out from his pocket and unlocked the front door. He motioned for me to go in first which I complied with slowly. In front of me was a long tiled hallway that led to a kitchen. There was a big living room to my left that was fully furnished with a thick royal blue carpet, a flat screen television, sleek black furniture, tall black lamps and black coffee tables. There was a swirled stairway to my right. Scourge walked around me and began to walk up the steps. I followed him to the second floor where he continued to walk down a long hallway. All of the doors were closed so I couldn't see into any of the rooms. He opened the door to the room at the end of the hallway. He once again motioned for me to go in first which I did.

The room was painted a deep blue color with a queen sized bed that had a black comforter on it, a black wooden desk, a small television, a bean bag chair, and even a small ledge for a balcony. Scourge's scent lingered heavily in the room. "This is my room," he told me as he walked in. I looked around as I walked closer, shooting Scourge a confused glance. He seemed at ease in this house despite the fact that it was abandoned yet still fully furnished. Plus the room we were in still resembled that of a teenage boy. Obviously no one had lived there after his family. But why?

Scourge got down on the floor to look for something under his bed. He bit his lip in concentration as his hand searched around for what he was looking for. I heard him smack something metal as he smiled and retreat his hand. With that, he retrieved a big metal box that could only be opened with a key. He simply broke the lock off the box before opening it. He sat down on his bed as the smile on his face widened. "Come here," he said as he glanced up at me. His blue eyes were now filled with excitement, a nostalgic joy coming across his face. I walked up to the bed and sat down beside him. I took a peek into the box to see that it was filled with little trinkets.

"What's this," I asked him.

"This is a box that I store everything you give me in – or anything that would fit." He pulled out a rock that had a purple flower painted on it. "You gave me this when we were three. You called it a token of your friendship." He put it back in the box before shuffling his hand around. The next thing he pulled out was a handful of handmade bracelets. "These are all the friendship bracelets you made me over the summer when we were at camp and stuff." He took out a few action figures. "Don't judge but I was a superhero nerd as a child. I got teased for it a lot but you never thought it was weird. So, you brought me a couple for my birthday one year." Finally he pulled out a blue ring pop. "This was from our freshman year of high school when you promised that if you got to choose who you'd marry: you'd marry me." He smiled down at the wrapped candy. "We were strange kids. The only reason we became friends was because all the kids in our pre-kindergarten class thought we were weird. I remember the first day you talked to me. You had little pigtails and you were wearing a pink tutu." He smiled. "I was getting teased by some of the other kids and you came over and put all of them in their place. Half of the boys admired and feared you since then. Then we got to middle school and all of our so called "strangeness" disappeared."

"When we became popular, right?" Scourge nodded.

"Everyone wanted to be us for whatever reason. Blaze used to say it was because the two of you hit puberty and became drop dead gorgeous meanwhile I was the nerdy friend who in high school hit puberty and also became drop dead gorgeous. She used to call us the ugly duckling group. Once I even went around the school quacking at people cause I couldn't figure out what sound a swan made." I giggled. Scourge looked up at me, a huge smile coming across his face. "I missed that sound," he said softly. He slowly raised his hand to caress my cheek again. "You used to laugh all the time," he murmured. "You used to hate your laugh; you thought you sounded like a dying seal." I bit my lip as a smile threatened to come upon my lips. "But I always thought you sounded like an angel," he murmured. His gaze on me softened, his ice blue eyes filling with admiration again. His hand trailed its way around the side of my jaw and made a bee line to my hair where he tugged softly on a stray strand.

"Where…where are your parents," I asked him so that we could change the subject. Scourge's soft expression hardened as he twirled my pink lock around his finger.

"I think they're dead," he murmured unsurely. He tilted his head as his eyes distanced themselves from the present and back into the past. "They weren't home when our house was attacked. They were at some charity event or something. The venom worked quickly through my body so I was up and about by the time they got home. I stayed out of their sight though. My creator told me that it would be better if they thought I had died. As it turns out, the thought wasn't better. When my mother saw the mess, she had a complete meltdown. She actually almost died from the panic attack of trying to find me and trying to convince herself that I wasn't dead. My father tried to keep her calm but the truth hit him like a wrecking ball as well. I was their only child…I was all they had…and I was gone." His eyes lowered. "My mother couldn't take the grief. She killed herself before even trying to plan a funeral. Or at least that's what I heard. I never heard about what happened to my father. I'm not sure if he could live without the both of us…he was a big family man."

"I'm so sorry, Scourge," I told him. I hesitated but I reached up to gently run my knuckles across his strong jaw line. His skin was surprisingly warm and unnaturally smooth. My implicit mind sent tingles of joy to the skin on my knuckles.

"I miss them," he murmured as his hand fell away from my hair. He looked away, causing me to drop my own hand. His hand went to rub the silky comforter, his blue eyes filled with both sadness and nostalgia. My heart truly felt for him in that moment. He reminded me of myself: lost, alone, and struggling with balancing the events of the past and the future. I could see behind his eyes that he was still trying to figure himself out. He still wasn't sure who he was or who he was supposed to be. He just knew who his race wanted him to be. But maybe even then, that may not be who he wanted to be. Maybe he wasn't all that bad on the inside.

"Can I…can I ask you a question," I asked. Scourge looked back to me, his eyebrow raising the slightest bit. "Um, what…what would happen if…if I did go with you…?" Scourge crinkled his eyebrows together in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I heard that the Bana were collecting vampires like me."

"Oh yea," he murmured. "You are a guardian angel, aren't you?" I nodded. "Then you'd be under my protection."

"Like Adrian was," I shot back bitterly. I hadn't even thought about the statement before it came out of my mouth. It kind of just…came out. Scourge didn't seem phased by my tone. He held my steady gaze, his eyes patient.

"I didn't have the power back then that I do have now. I made a big mistake bringing you and Adrian to the Bana but I had good intentions. I didn't know that there were different races of vampires yet. I just knew that they were a safe haven for me and I wanted the two of you to be safe. I didn't know that they would take Adrian away. I swear that I didn't. But I worked my ass off to gain the high position I have no so that they two of you could be protected. I was trying to get Adrian out of captivity when he escaped. I remember locking him out of his cell and everything and he just shot me away and bolted. I get that he was afraid and that I should've explained before I let him out but I was just too happy that I could help. I thought that maybe we could find you together. Your caregivers had broken you out of my care not too long after I'd turned you. I thought maybe we'd all be reunited and we could be a small family – together." He reached out his hand to cup my face. "Everything I did – everything I do – I do for you," he told me. I stared at him in surprise, the genuine care that shined in his eyes blowing me away. He really did still love me.

"Why," I murmured. "Why do you still care?"

"Because I love you, Amy. I've never stopped loving you. Just like you love that…hunter; you'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?" I nodded. "That's how I feel about you. You may not trust me, you may not particularly like me, and you may not feel the same way I do but I would still do anything for you. I just…I just want things to go back to the way they used to be. I want it to be you and me against the world. I want you to love me again. I know that it's a lot to wish for but like I said before: I'll take things slow. I'll try to earn back your trust and then…then we can take it from there."

"You're really not going to give up on me, are you?"

"Not even if you asked me to." His thumb rubbed my skin. "I made you a promise a long time ago and I'd be damned if I gave up on it now." He leaned closer to kiss my forehead. His lips were soft, and just as gentle as his touch. "Come on; I'll take you home."

It was a short drive back to my house; it was literally only about two minutes long. Scourge's old house wasn't far from mine at all. We probably walked back and forth when we were mortals. The same with Blaze's house. We all lived pretty close to each other but not so close that we all lived on top of each other. It was just the right distance.

When he arrived at my house, Scourge handed me back my keys. He also helped me lug all my bags to my front door. "Thank you," I told him. He shot me a smile.

"You're welcome," he replied. He glanced at the door, his smile twisting a strange way. I was about to question his actions before the door opened. Adrian was standing there now, dressed in his simple pajama pants and a tee shirt. He glanced at me before his emeralds went to Scourge. His eyes immediately widened and I saw all the fear that I thought had vanished resurface on his face. Scourge's smile widened, his blue eyes almost widening as well – but not in a fearful or surprised way. Instead it was in that weird, psycho way. His new expression scared me, especially since I saw his fangs sharpen the slightest bit. "Adrian, how nice to see you again," he told my brother.

"What are you doing here," Adrian asked.

"I'm dropping Amy off; I couldn't let her drive home by herself now could I?" Adrian didn't reply. His jaw tightened as his eyes lowered. Scourge looked to me and his crazy eyes immediately vanished. "Goodnight Amy." He stepped closer to give me a kiss on the forehead. "Sweet dreams." He glanced at Adrian, sparing him a soft nod before walking off the porch. I watched him walk in a mortal way for a couple seconds before he suddenly disappeared into the dark night.

Adrian immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. He slammed the door behind us before turning his livid eyes towards me. "What the hell were you doing with that psychopath?" He yelled at me.

"Why did he look at you like that," I countered. "Why did you look so afraid of him?"

"Because he's fucking crazy, that's why! You can't be hanging around him."

"Adrian, he doesn't seem all that bad."

"Key word: seem. The dude is fucking insane. You can't trust him, Amy. You can't let him hurt you again. Promise me that you won't hang out with him again."

"Adrian, I wish I could promise you that. I really wish I could but…" Adrian narrowed his eyes.

"You still have feelings for him, don't you?" I shrugged.

"A part of me does but another part of me just wants to give him a chance. His intentions has never been to hurt us; he was only trying to keep us safe." Adrian opened his mouth to say something but I countered him. "I promised you that I wouldn't let him hurt you again and I won't. But, you have to let me take care of him. He obviously has some type of strong feelings for me that's making his evil genes go haywire which may give us an advantage. We won't know what he wants until I let him in. When I do then we'll take it from there, okay?"

"I really hope you know what you're doing," Adrian replied. "But just to let you know: you have terrible taste in men. First a hunter and now this psychopath." He shook his head. "I just hope they kill each other before one of them tries to kill you." I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You don't really think Sonic doesn't still have feelings for you, do you?" I opened my mouth to speak but I quickly shut it. I had never contemplated whether or not he still had feelings for me. I just came to the terms that I had lost him…and that I probably would never get him back. I didn't think that he may still love me. I mean, his reaction had happened so fast. I couldn't even rationalize about what his emotions were going through. I could barely handle my own. "Just be careful," my brother told me. He gave me a soft hug before helping me carry my bags up to my room. Once he left, I flopped down on my bed and let out a sigh. God, what was I getting myself into?

**Review if you wish**


	22. I Remember You

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs. **

**Chapter 21: I Remember You **

The next morning I was awakened by a soft tapping on my window. I reluctantly opened my eyes, the sweet dream of watching a young girl falling in love with her prince charming fading away from my mind. I rolled over in my bed to see that Scourge was once again dangling outside of my window. I motioned for him to open the window himself. He did so and hopped into my room. "Good morning beautiful," he told me as he walked up to my bed. I rubbed at my sleepy eyes.

"What are you doing here so early in the morning," I asked as I glanced at the clock. It was only eight in the morning, way too early for me to be up on a Sunday. Scourge perched down beside me on my bed and caressed my face. His eyes had softened, holding the admiration once more.

"I wanted you to go somewhere with me. I want to show you something."

"Are you going to keep popping out of nowhere and requesting for me to go places with you," I asked with a teasing smile. Scourge smiled down at me.

"Hey, I will admit that I feel like a modern day Romeo." He cleared his throat. "Juliet, Juliet, where art thou Juliet," he said in a deep tone. I giggled at him as I shook my head. Scourge laughed as well, his eyes brightening at the sound of my giggle. His hand lowered to rub my arm as he spoke next. "So, are you gonna come with me or are you going to lie here all day?" I sighed but hauled myself to sit up.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Now get dressed," he ordered softly. I obeyed his orders and dragged myself into the shower. I made sure to be quick since Scourge was waiting for me and I doubted he was going to go away if I took too long. So, I figured that I might as well be considerate. I was also a bit curious to see what he was going to show me. When he'd shown me his old house the day before, he kind of opened himself up to me. He gave me insight on our past and what part he played a part in as my best friend. He didn't really go into our old relationship but I was okay with that. I was still trying to come to terms with the ending of my relationship with Sonic. I don't think my brain or my heart could handle trying to work with both of them at the same time.

Once I got out the shower, I blow dried my hair so that it fell into my thick pink waves. I then threw on a coral spaghetti strapped floral blouse, jean shorts, and a white pair of converse. I decided to do without makeup before walking back out of the bathroom to my room. Scourge was sitting at my desk, staring curiously at the pictures on my bulletin board. On it were pictures of me and Sonic, my friends, and a couple of me and Adrian when he was in a good enough mood to take silly pictures with me. Scourge's blue eyes didn't hold any sadness or nostalgia in them as he looked them over. He didn't look angry either though. Instead, he was just curious.

I don't think he noticed my presence at first since his eyes continued scanning over my board. They didn't stop until they reached a certain picture. I wasn't sure which one it was at first until he neatly took the pin out so that he could pull it down to look at more closely. The picture turned out to be the one Sonic's cousin took of him and me at her wedding. We were standing close together with Sonic's arm wrapped tightly around my waist and smiles on both of our faces. Scourge tilted his head at the picture, his finger reaching out to caress my face. His eyes flicked to the boy beside me in the picture and I saw his lips turn into the smallest frown. I cleared my throat, causing him to look at me. Immediately, a smile took over his lips. "You look nice," he told me. He turned away to pin the picture back in its rightful place.

"Thanks," I told him. "Do you like my pictures?"

"I like the way you look in the pictures…you look happy."

"Yea, I was." Scourge stood up out of his seat and shot me a smile. "I'm going to go grab some bottles of blood from downstairs and then we can go, okay?"

"Sure." I nodded before quietly sneaking downstairs. No one was up yet so I was able to grab a few bottles of blood before heading back upstairs. Scourge was still there, waiting patiently. "Do you need to tell your family that you're leaving?"

"I'll send Adrian a text later," I promised. Scourge shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay." I grabbed my black floral bag to put the bottled blood in as well as my wallet. Scourge watched me as I did so, his blue eyes filled with curiosity at my actions. When I was finished, he helped me jump down from my window. I did so easily, my vampire abilities working themselves back into my head. Scourge's Mustang was parked on the curb outside my house. We both got in before he began to drive. We didn't talk as we rode through the neighborhood; we let the radio make the noise for us. I did watch Scourge as he drove though. His face was pulled into an expression of concentration, his blue eyes shining brighter from the sun hitting them. I had to admit that Scourge was a gorgeous boy. I was surprised that half the girls in Orlando weren't trying to throw themselves at him. I had assumed that he had gone to school when I didn't for those two weeks after Sonic and I broke up. Surely all of the girls in school had at least attempted to go on a date with him. The thought send a fiery tingle in my stomach as my implicit mind once again tried to take ahold of my mental state. I couldn't lie, I was attracted to Scourge but not for the same reason I was with Sonic. With Sonic, I felt like I absolutely had to get close to him…to know him. With Scourge, I was more or less curious to find out who he was…and what his true intentions were. Sure, it was obvious that he cared a great deal for me but something told me that there may be more than that. I couldn't shake off this feeling that he wanted me for something. I also couldn't shake off the affection that my implicit mind still harbored for him. I could keep him at a distance all I wanted but I knew a part of me would always love him. That part may not have been dominant but it was still pretty influential. I liked being around Scourge, whether I liked that thought or not.

Scourge eventually pulled up to a small waffle house diner near downtown. Immediately, I saw a small hallucination of a younger him and I laughing at one of the booths that I could see through the window. Our laughter filled my ears, causing my heart to sink the slightest bit in nostalgia. Scourge led me into the diner that smelled heavily of waffles and bacon. An older waitress smiled at us and sat us down at the very booth in which I had seen our younger selves. Scourge returned the smile at her as she set down our menus. "I was wondering when I was going to see you two kids again," she said. "It's been a long time. I'm happy to see that you kids at least had some kind of survival. I was starting to get worried."

"I'm happy to see you made it alright as well, Donna," Scourge replied. I raised my eyebrows in confusion at the two of them. The woman smelled mortal to me but then again, the vampires had only come maybe a little over 20 years ago. She had have been young when it all went down. I wondered how she survived herself. I also wondered why she wasn't flipping out since two vampires were sitting in her diner. Maybe not all people were scared of vampires…

"Can I start you guys off with some coffee or something?"

"I'll have some." Scourge looked to me. "Would you like some coffee, Ames?" At the sound of my nickname, so loose on his tongue, I felt my tension ease.

"Sure," I said, shooting the waitress a smile. She returned the smile before walking to go get us our coffee. "We came here often," I asked Scourge. He was staring at me, his blue eyes soft with admiration again. He nodded in response to my question.

"Donna's father used to own the place. We used to come here every Sunday to get breakfast. Usually our mothers would drive us down here and they'd go shopping while we sat here and ate. Donna used to always serve us. She'd tease us about how she wanted to be invited to our wedding and that she wanted to be the nanny for our children." He smiled. "We had some good times here. Sometimes we'd play with the jukebox and put on music from our parents' era that we knew and we'd get everyone in the place to sing with us. Eventually, Donna's father just started having a karaoke night on Friday's and let us be the DJ's." He chuckled. "We used to play some strange music for people to sing and man, did they jam out to it."

"Sounds like a lot of fun," I said with a smile. "Did we have regular orders?" Scourge nodded.

"You usually got a special with eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes while I went all out and got breakfast burritos." My mouth twisted into a disgusted frown. Scourge's smile widened at the sight. "That's the exact face you'd give me whenever I ordered it. You used to say that one day my stomach was going to combust from the disgusting combination."

"It just might once you mix it with blood," I warned him. He shrugged.

"I'll take my chances."

"You're crazy."

"So I've been told," he replied, an underlying meaning lingering under his words. I wanted to comment on it but the waitress, Donna, came back with both our coffees and the regular orders that Scourge had just been telling me about. The food was actually pretty good although I couldn't help but grimace at Scourge's huge burritos that were filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, and some spices. He even had the nerve to pour ketchup on it. When he noticed the looks I was giving him, he had smiled and asked me if I wanted to try it.

"No thank you," I told him. "I'll stick with my normal food."

"Suit yourself," Scourge said with a soft shrug.

Once we were done eating, Scourge paid for our meal and we headed back out to his car. I wanted to ask him if he would tell me where we were going but I figured that he wouldn't tell me. He seemed to like keeping me in the dark about what was going on. While that was scary, I couldn't help but to think that it may be one of the reasons why I was so willing to be around him. I was curious as to who he was more than what he wanted with me. I wanted to see if he was the same guy in my pictures or if he really had transformed into a totally different person.

The small part of my mind that still remembered and still loved him wanted him to be the same person he used to be. Even the conscious me wished that he wasn't the despicable person that everyone was describing. Sure, I'd seen glimpses of his more…bane like side but I was still hoping that it wasn't true. He was being so sweet and kind to me. I didn't want that to stop. Besides, I really did need a friend to distract me from the pain I was still experiencing from losing Sonic. His presence was helping me whether I realized it or not.

He drove for a long time until we finally arrived to the very edge of town near where the hill he'd taken me to before had been. There was nothing really out there except for miles of road and grass. A peaceful silence hung over the land, the only sound being the wind as it caressed the acres of green. I wondered why he had taken me there. Were we going to visit the hill again and sit on the rock? Were there more stories he wanted to share with me? I looked to Scourge to see that he was staring at me, his blue eyes hesitant. "What's wrong," I asked him.

"Nothing, it's just…I don't want to live in the past with you anymore." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion. "All I've been showing you are things from our past when our past doesn't really matter anymore. If you're going to open up to me then you have to see who I am now…"

"You seem reluctant to show me."

"Because…because you were right when you said that the two of us were different people now. When I'm with you, I feel like I'm the old Scourge again; I feel happy and confident and warm. But when you weren't with me…" He shook his head. "I felt the complete opposite. I'm…I'm just hoping that maybe your presence will make things better."

"So you're finally kidnapping me?"

"If you wish to put it that way, then yes. But in my terms, I'm just rightfully taking what's mine." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Come on, Amy," he commanded before getting out the car. I stared after him with wide eyes, my stomach churning. Was he seriously about to drag me to wherever he'd come from? Back to the place where Adrian was traumatized? Was he serious? I looked back at the open road we'd traveled from. I pondered on running as fast as I could and not looking back. But that would only piss Scourge off. When he caught me, I doubted that he would be merciful. He had already warned me before that his patience was long gone. I was surprised that he hadn't tried to take me away at an earlier time.

Reluctantly, I got out the car and met him at the hood. He smiled at me, his eyes lighting up with satisfaction. "I thought you'd run," he admitted.

"You were only going to catch me anyway," I replied. "That wouldn't have gotten us anywhere."

"I see you've still got brains." He came closer, running a soft hand through my hair. His hand then went to cup my neck, tilting it back the slightest bit. I stared at him as he leaned down, his lips making contact with my ear. "Now continue to be a good girl and close your eyes for me." I took a deep breath as I obeyed his command. He wrapped his other arm around my waist and pressed me close against him. While my implicit mind got excited from the contact, my conscious mind was distracted by the sudden wind I felt circling around Scourge and I. It completely swarmed around us, blowing through my hair and kissing my legs. I actually began to hold on to Scourge as the wind strengthened, almost knocking me over. Scourge's arm tightened around me before suddenly the wind was gone. So was the smell of the open fields around us. What had happened?

I slowly opened my eyes to find the sight of a high, elegant, gold ceiling. I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion as I stepped away from Scourge. He reluctantly let me go, his eyes filling with disappointment. His mouth turned into a small frown but I couldn't worry too much about that. Instead I turned my attention to my new surroundings. We were in a long hallway that looked as if it belonged in a castle. The walls seemed to be made out of gold as it sparkled against the sunlight that the huge windows on the walls let in. There were large arches every couple of feet on the ceiling, decorated with ruby jewels. The floor was a shimmering opal color that felt like glass beneath my feet. There were various paintings on the walls, mostly portraits of scenery.

"Where are we," I asked Scourge. "How did you do that?"

"We're in Europe; in the Bana Castle to be specific. I teleported here." I raised my eyebrows.

"You can teleport?" He nodded. "How?"

"Your kind isn't the only ones with powers, you know." He held out his hand to me. "Come, I want to show you to your room." I looked down wearily at his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you, Amy. I meant what I said when I told you that you would be safe here."

"You promise that it's safe here?" Scourge nodded. I sighed as I nodded. "Okay." I put my hand in his and his smile immediately appeared back on his lips. He began to lead me down the hallway, his posture more alert than it was back when we were in Orlando. Adrian's words of him having high status here rang back in my mind. But instead of the thought bringing worry, I felt a bit of sadness. I couldn't stay here with Scourge. Adrian would go crazy and my parents would probably go through a full blown police search. They'd all be worried sick…but they'd all know that he'd taken me. It wasn't like I was disappearing out of thin air. Adrian knew he was here and there was no doubt that my parents probably knew as well. If my parents had gotten me out before then they knew where I was. Maybe they would come get me. Maybe they'd come save me again.

I began to notice the abundance of guards standing watch as we got deeper into the castle. They were all dressed in red suits, their hard faces staring me down as we passed. A couple of them nodded to Scourge in acknowledgement before their eyes went to me and their expressions became those of surprise. I tried to peek into their minds but like Scourge's, I couldn't hear a thing. The fact that I couldn't read minds in this strange place made me feel uncomfortable. I was so used to being in control – to knowing what someone's next move was. Here, everything was going to have to be unpredictable…and that scared me.

Scourge led me to a huge room that was painted a soft purple color. In the room was a huge vanity dresser with a mirror and a small cushioned chair, a walk-in closet, a couple of dressers, a thick lavender rug, a full size mirror, and a large bed that had a canopy atop it with translucent lavender curtains hanging around it. There was also a door near the back corner and two large windows that were covered by purple curtains.

"My room is the one adjoined to yours," he said, pointing the door in the corner. "There's also your own personal bathroom on the other side of the room." He pointed to the other side of the room where I hadn't noticed another door. "I won't come into your room unannounced. I will always knock and wait for your permission to come in. I have handmade dresses for you in the closets and I've had your servant go shopping for you already."

"Servant," I asked, the word feeling disgusting on my tongue.

"Yes. Her name is May. She should be here any moment now. She's going to help you get ready for the ball tonight."

"Like a dance?"

"Yes…something like that. The other dukes and our leader want to meet you. They'd all like to see the girl I've made such a big fuss about all of these years."

"So…you're a duke?"

"Yes. Cayden is very fond of using middle aged terms for our rankings and such. There are six dukes including myself. We are each in charge of certain sectors of the guardian warriors that are captured. For example, I'm in charge of the front line soldiers. I train them to become skilled killers using their powers and using their abilities to their uses against their enemies." I shuddered. "Cayden calls himself the 'king' of the Bana race. He is the original Bana and he's the one who orders all of us around."

"Oh," I murmured. Scourge reached out to touch me as I began to walk towards my bed. I sat down on the soft cushion of the mattress before running my hand over the silky comforter. Scourge hesitated in the doorway before walking inside to sit down beside me on the bed. He pushed some of my hair off of my shoulder before letting his fingers trace around one of my collar bones.

"What are you thinking about," he asked me.

"If this is really going to be my life now," I murmured sadly. "It just…it seems like it's going to be a lot to get used to."

"I understand." He kissed my temple. "But you will get used to it and you'll come to love it. I promise." He then wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to him. "Just give it a chance," he whispered in my ear.

I didn't have time to reply before we both we heard a soft gasp of surprise. We both immediately turned our heads to see a small, mousy looking girl in my doorway that was holding a garment bag. She had long straight locks of jet black hair, deeply tanned skin, and dark eyes. She looked older than me but not by much. She was very skinny, making her look young. "I'm sorry, master, I didn't know the two of you were in here," the girl murmured, her frail voice shaking with fear. I hadn't noticed Scourge's eyes had glazed over with irritation and his mouth had curled in a deep frown.

"It's fine," he said firmly. He looked to me and his eyes softened. "I will come to pick you up in a few hours," he told me. He then kissed my forehead before getting up from his seat. I couldn't see his expression from where I was sitting but I did see the small girl shudder with fear as she moved out of his way. I heard him murmur something to her as he passed but I couldn't make out the words. I tilted my head after him. His emotional swings around other people were starting to scare me. I mean, sure Sonic may have acted different around other people too but it wasn't as distinct nor did the action take place as fast as it did with Scourge. Plus Sonic had a reason to keep people at a distance. I wasn't completely sure what Scourge's deal was. All I knew from what Adrian had told was that he was crazy – something of which I was starting to believe. He was kind of bipolar…

"Hello," the girl's frail voice spoke after Scourge had shut the door behind him. I looked to her to see that a small smile had appeared on her face. I returned the smile.

"Hello," I replied. "I'm Amy."

"I'm May. It's very nice to finally meet you, Amy. Scourge has spoken a great deal about you and has had me doing a lot of things to prepare for your arrival."

"Did you do all of this to the room?"

"No, Scourge had this room done for you years ago when he first became a Duke. He's mostly had me making dresses for you and getting your wardrobe together. I have your gown for tonight if you'd wish to see." I nodded as I got up. She walked to the full size mirror to hang the bag up. She unzipped the bag as I got closer to her to reveal a beautiful, deep purple dress. It looked as if it were made out of pure silk with two straps creating a halter around my neck but separated lower to hold the breasts in two different ribbons with a space in between yet connected in the back. It looked as if my sides were going to be out as well but other than that, the silk would cover the rest of my body.

"It's beautiful," I said as I stared at the dress in awe. May smiled proudly at the dress.

"I'm very happy that you like it. Would you prefer a bath or a shower so that I can begin to help you get ready?"

"I can run a shower myself," I assured her.

"No, no, I will do it for you," she said before shuffling off towards the personal bathroom. I stared after her in confusion before looking back at the dress. I reached my finger out to stroke the fabric to see that I was right about the silk. It was very soft and very fine. If I were to buy this in a store, there would be no doubt that it would probably cost almost a thousand dollars because of the fine quality. May must've had some great sowing skills in order to make the dress. She must've also had a lot of patience. The dress seemed as though it was fragile and needed very gentle care to make. But then again, May looked like a gentle woman.

She did run my shower water for me and smiled at me when she was finished with her task. The hot water was soothing when I actually got to step into the shower. The heat relaxed my weary muscles as did it bring back my sorrowful thoughts. Did I really have to stay here with Scourge for who knows how long? Was he really going to keep me here? What about my family? What about my old life? What about Sonic…? Although we may have broken up, I still cared deeply for him and worried about his safety. What if he were out there getting himself hurt? Or what if he had actually gotten back with Sally? Or what if he just found someone totally new to take my place? The thought of him even hugging another girl nauseated my stomach. He was mine…I wanted him to always be mine.

When I got out the shower, May immediately went to work on my hair. I had washed it in the shower for her so she blow dried it and straightened it for me. She left it in the perfectly straight, thick pink locks before working slowly on my makeup. First she smoothed out my tanned complexion with some foundation and blush before moving to make my emerald eyes pop with a dark smoky eye. She dabbed some neutral lip stick on me before approving on it. She then helped me into my dress. The fabric snuggly hugged my body, expressing every curve I had. My sides were out as was there a small keyhole below my breasts that made me feel a bit uncomfortable but I forced myself to deal with it. I looked gorgeous; that had to be what mattered. To top off the look, May gave me a pair of silky purple stilettos and added a diamond bracelet and diamond earrings to my attire.

Scourge knocked on my door around seven o' clock, just as May was straightening up everything on me. She answered the door for me. Her fearful expression once again appeared as she did so. She stepped back out of the way so that Scourge could walk in. He was decked out in a black suit that fitted his muscular torso, with a deep purple dress shirt beneath it. The first couple of buttons were open, expressing his lean neck. His green hair had been brushed and was pushed back all the way away from his face, leaving his sharp features out in the open. I had to say I was surprised that my conscious heart skipped a beat. He did look really good…

When his blue eyes went to me, the smile that always appeared on his face when he saw me arose again but wider this time. His eyes sparkled with admiration as he spoke. "Wow. You look beautiful, Amy," he told me.

"Thank you," I told him as I looked down. Unconsciously, blush began to rush to my cheeks. My implicit mind began to take over, sending butterflies to my stomach. Scourge seemed to notice my reaction to his compliment and he smiled wider at me. He took a step closer, holding his hand out to me. I put my hand in his and let him pull me towards the door. I thanked May as we passed her in which she shot me back a soft smile.

Scourge kept a tight hold on my hand as he led me down a long stairway that led to the second floor of the castle. In the foyer were two huge double doors that from the outside, I could see another set of golden steps and shimmering chandeliers. He gave my hand a squeeze as he led me into the room. Immediately, I was hit with the strong scent of the Bana, their seductive undertone swarming around me. Many of the girls in the room were dressed similar to me, in fitted bold colored gowns. Some dresses had more fabric than others but either way, they all looked beautiful. Many of the guys were dressed similar to Scourge, in suits and bold colored dress shirts to undertone their attire. As we made our way down the steps, many of the Bana vampires turned their eyes to us. The boys' eyes went wide with admiration and lust while the girls' narrowed with jealousy and disgust. I actually heard one of the girls whisper "I can't believe he settled for a filthy guardian warrior." The comment made me squeeze Scourge's hand as I tried not to be affected by it. Scourge squeezed my hand back as he pulled me closer. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm firmly around my waist. His lips went to my ear. "Don't worry about them; they're no one important," he told me.

He got us two glasses of glittering champagne that seemed to be mixed with blood from one of the waiters passing by and handed me one. I smiled at him before I took a sip of the drink. It was light but sweet and very bubbly. It immediately rejuvenated my weary body. I could tell that the alcohol in it wasn't strong which was a good thing. I didn't want to pass out on Scourge; that might freak him out a little bit too much. Besides, I didn't want to make a fool out of myself. Scourge did mention that he wanted me to meet some of the other Dukes as well as the "king". I had to be on my best behavior – I had a feeling that my life may depend on it if Scourge decided he didn't want me anymore.

He led me up to where three guys were talking. All of them were dressed in expensive look suits and were equally attractive. The first had obviously dyed, bright red hair with piercing blue eyes and multiple earrings in his ears. The second was wearing glasses with dark brown hair, deep chestnut eyes, and a small hint of a mustache. The last was definitely the most intimidating of them all. He was very tall with bright, glowing red eyes, brown hair, a goatee, and sharp facial features. His red eyes were housed in small, almond shaped slits that caused them to be even more intimidating. I felt my breath get stuck in my throat as he turned his rubies to me.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," the red eyed one said as he smiled, expressing his fangs. His voice was deep with a strong English accent. "Scourge's finally got his dream girl back."

"Yes. Yes, I did. You remember Amy, Cayden. Amy, this is our leader Cayden." He nodded to the other two guys. "That's Gerard," he nodded to the red headed one. "And Elijah."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Gerard said with a sly smile. "I always thought it would be interesting to see what the girl who got away looked like. I can say that you didn't leave me disappointed." His piercing eyes scoured my body, causing me to take a step closer to Scourge.

"Don't scare her," Elijah scolded him. "Let her be. Scourge doesn't need her running off again."

"That I don't," Scourge agreed.

"Gerard was only complimenting her," Cayden said, his rubies also scrutinizing my body. "I have to say that I agree with him. This is a very exquisite female you have here. It's too bad only you get to play with her."

"Too bad for all of you," Scourge said with a teasing smile. I looked around the ballroom, seeing many people dancing around and drinking the blood mixed drinks. I would admit that I felt uncomfortable hearing their male humored jokes about me. I kind of wished that I could be somewhere else. Sure, I did like to be around Scourge but his 'friends' creeped me out.

"So, Amy," Cayden said, bringing me back into the conversation. "Scourge says you and him grew up together. How was that?"

"I…I wish I could tell you but I honestly don't remember." Cayden's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "I…I woke up with no memory of my mortal life." All of their eyebrows immediately shot up in surprise.

"Really," Elijah asked before he took a sip of his drink. "That's very interesting." He glanced at Cayden but his rubies were on me, analyzing me slowly. His eyes then flicked to Scourge who nodded almost imperceptibly. I could see in their eyes that they were sharing some type of mental conversation. I wished that my mind reading skills worked on their kind so that I could see what exactly they were talking about.

"I guess," I said with a shrug. My eyes once again scanned over the huge room until my eyes caught sight of double door window that led out to a balcony. "I'm going to go…get some air," I told the four of them. I wiggled out of Scourge's grasp with a bit of a struggle since he seemed reluctant to let me go before heading out towards the balcony. Night had fallen wherever we were and the cool breeze that came with the darkness blew gently. It caressed my bare shoulders and eased some of my uneasiness. I would admit that I didn't feel comfortable with the Bana. I wasn't like them…and they obviously didn't like me. Sure the boys did but the girls didn't seem like they were going to be too warm. I wasn't going to be able to make friends. I would try with May but she seems too afraid of Scourge to even hold a solid conversation with me. I would be isolated here, with only Scourge to talk to.

I looked out over the city that was a good distance away from the castle. I saw the lights from the buildings and the soft chatter of the citizens. I wondered what was going on in their world. Were people happy here? Were people going on dates? Were they going shopping with their friends? Were they falling in love? I sighed as Sonic's face once again flashed behind my eyes. God, I missed him. All I wanted in that moment was to feel his arms around me and to hear his accented voice telling me that everything was going to be okay…that he was there…that he loved me.

"You okay," I heard Scourge ask. I looked over my shoulder to see that he was lingering in the doorway, a soft expression on his face.

"Yes," I murmured before looking back over the city. Scourge came to my side, his blue eyes staying on me instead of the world in front of us. I looked down to see a garden full of colorful roses and various flowers. The small vision I'd had of my mother fluttered back into my mind, causing tears to attempt to form behind my eyes.

"You're not happy," Scourge stated. "Why…why aren't you happy? I thought…I thought that maybe you'd be happy here…with me…"

"It's not that I'm not happy, Scourge. It's just that everything's been happening so fast and it's…it's getting hard to get a grip onto reality. I'm not going to lie to you: I'm still hurting from my breakup with Sonic and I miss him. I miss him a lot. I know you don't want to hear that but I just thought you should know. I can't…I can't open up to you…to this way of life because I'm too stuck on the life I just came from. It's the only life I knew and now…now it's gone." Scourge looked away from me.

"I know the feeling," he murmured. "When I first got here, after they took you and Adrian away, I…I felt alone, I felt upset, I felt guilty…I felt horrible. I lost everyone I'd loved and…and I missed the one I truly cared about. I understand that you need time to heal. Trust me, I do. But you need to know that I'm not…I'm not going anywhere. You'll always have me; I'll always be here for you." He kissed my temple before curling his hand under my chin and tilting my head upwards. I looked up into his sincere blue eyes and my conscious mind filled with warmth – but not in a romantic way. I felt as if I wasn't so alone…like I could actually trust him. "You don't have to open up to me in terms of romance, Amy. All I'm asking out of you is for you to open up to me in terms of friendship. That's all. I told you I'd take it slow and I meant that. So, don't be sad anymore. Please. Don't be sad. I could never stand it when you were sad."

He pulled me into a tight hug, burying my face into his chest. Tears threatened to brim my eyes, my emotions wanting to let everything out all over again. But I refused to do that. I didn't want to be so vulnerable anymore. I didn't want to constantly be crying over the things I'd lost…over the things I couldn't control. I wanted to be strong – something I should've been a long time ago.

"You should go enjoy the party," I told him.

"No; I think I should take you back to your room. I know you're probably tired." He pulled out of our hug and smiled down at me. I shot him a small one back as he caressed my face. "Look, I know that I'm still earning your trust but…can I just try something…please?" He glanced down at my lips, letting me know what he wanted. While I wanted to tell him no, I knew that I owed him at least one kiss. He had gone through a great deal just to keep me safe. He deserved at least one token of gratification.

"Yes," I told him. His lips tugged at the ends as his eyes lit up with excitement. His hand that had caressed my face lowered down to the back of my neck. He tilted my head back the slightest bit before dipping his head down and crushing his lips against mine. Neither of us expected the reaction that my body decided to take next. My implicit mind immediately burned with memories – from ones of me and my family to ones of Scourge and I when we first started going out. Each and every one suddenly placed themselves back into my mind, firmly planting themselves into my subconscious. I could suddenly remember my admiration of parents, my annoyance towards Adrian, my closeness to Blaze, and most of all: my love for Scourge. His kiss had awakened whatever part of my mind had been asleep for the past couple of years and brought back to life every memory. My whole mortal life flashed behind my eyes under the soft touch of his lips.

Immediately after the swarm of memories, I looped my arms around Scourge's neck and pressed his lips more firmly against mine. The familiar feel of his gentle, sweet lips once again sent butterflies to my stomach and the subtle longing I'd felt for him was eased by his closeness. I kissed him back with a fire I didn't know existed in me. I kissed him passionately, hungrily, the love I felt for him burning through my body.

Yet beneath all of that, my love for Sonic was still there. While my memories caused my heart to act on the emotions I felt for Scourge, a huge part of it still belonged to Sonic. A part of me may have felt satiated and alive by kissing Scourge while another part felt guilty and disgusted. Scourge only had but a portion of my heart; Sonic held the full thing. He did since the moment I saw him at the mall and he would till the moment I got the actual strength to move on.

I pulled out of the kiss, tears brimming my eyes. Scourge smiled down at me for a moment before he noticed my watery eyes. "Amy, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I still love you but…I just can't do this."

"Amy, don't-"

"I'm sorry," I whispered before walking back into the ballroom, leaving Scourge once again stunned and speechless.

**Review if you wish **


	23. Homecoming

**Sorry for the delayed update. The story is finished so this will be concluded in a few chapters and everything, I just forgot to put the chapters up haha; my bad guys. **

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except for my OCs.**

**Chapter 22: Homecoming**

I ran back up to where my designated room was and threw myself down on my bed. The strength I wished so badly to have didn't make an appearance as I cried my eyes out on my bed. Memories of Scourge and I flew through my head, tempting my body to run back out to him and kiss him until my lips hurt. However for every memory with Scourge came another memory with Sonic that was just as strong and brought on just as many emotions. The two of them combined made my head and heart hurt. I just wanted to go to sleep and pretend that I was anywhere but in this situation. I wanted to pretend that the vampires didn't attack our town. I wanted to pretend that I was still normal.

I eventually fell asleep through my tears. I didn't dream for once. Instead I just slept peacefully, my mind blank. When I woke back up, however, I saw Scourge sitting at my bed side. He was dressed in a simple tee with jeans, his blue eyes soft with worry. At the sight of him, my heart skipped a beat. I fought against my foreign bubbling feelings to kiss him. I was already hurting him by having his feelings wound up like this when I wasn't sure if I could feel the same way – completely. "Are you okay," Scourge asked when he noticed I was staring back at him.

"Yes. I'm sorry about last night," I replied.

"You don't have to be sorry; it was my fault. I should've never kissed you. You basically told me that you weren't ready and I just totally went against that. I'm sorry for not respecting your wishes."

"Scourge," I whispered. "My memory came back." Scourge's eyebrows shot up in surprise. His blue eyes glimmered though, a spark of hope flying through them. "Before you ask me how…I'm telling you now that I don't know. When you kissed me, everything just…came back."

"Is that why you kissed me back," he asked as the glimmer of hope I saw in his eyes vanished. "Is that why you told me that you still loved me?" I looked down.

"Yes. My memories still have a hold on my emotion and they're making me feel…"

"But you don't want to feel that way," he whispered. My heart began to break as I saw his expression slowly fall. The light that had been in his blue eyes faded away as did the hint of the smile whenever he saw me. His eyes took on a new emotion that I didn't see in him, one of sadness and disappointment. It turned his eyes a duller shade of blue. I reached out to grab his hand but he quickly stood up. "Get dressed," he said sharply, his voice that of a leader. "Cayden wants to talk to you. I'll be waiting outside your door when you're ready to go." He then walked out of my room without another word. He slammed the door behind him, causing me to flinch. God, what had I done? I'd already lost one boy and now here I was about to lose the other. I had to start learning to just keep my mouth shut before one of them killed me.

I got dressed in a simple spaghetti strapped red sundress with a pair of wedges that I found in the walk-in closet. I left my hair down in its straightness from the night before but I did run a brush through it. I then walked out of the room to see Scourge leaning against the wall across from my door. He was glaring at the ground, his arms crossed against his chest. He seemed to biting at his lip with one of his fangs, his eyes lost in deep thought. The look immediately disappeared in his eyes when he looked up at me. He looked over my outfit, his blue eyes filling with the same admiration that he'd shown to me many times before. However it didn't last long. He quickly rid of it, his eyes turning weary. He straightened up before walking down the hallway. I followed him, my heart sinking as I realized how badly I'd hurt his feelings. I hadn't meant to hurt him. I never had the intention to hurt anyone.

He kept his arms crossed as we walked though my new care for him was longing for him to put his arm down so that I could hold his hand. I then remembered how it felt to hold his hand. It was always warm and soft with a firm grip that made me feel safe. "Scourge," I murmured as I stopped walking. He stopped as well, raising an eyebrow at me. "Please don't be upset with me. Please." Scourge stared at me for a moment. I suddenly saw the internal struggle in his mind as his wall dropped down for a split second. I saw his longing to take care of me, hold me, kiss me, make love to me… But then I saw his reluctance to really allow himself to love me because he knew my heart belonged to someone else. In his mind, he thought that my heart would always belong to the hunter. I hated to admit it but I was afraid that he might've been right about that. The battle disappeared just as quickly as it came but I had enough time to read into it.

"I don't know what you want me to do, Amy," he said. "I love you but…you can't love me back – not the way I want you to. You promised once that you would always be mine – all mine… Now your heart is somewhere else and I don't know how else to handle it. My new first instinct is to get pissed off anyway so you can't take it personally. It's just the way the Bana are."

"I understand," I said sadly. He nodded his head back in the direction we were heading in.

"Come on; Cayden doesn't have patience." He continued to walk and I slowly followed after him. He led me to one of the other wings of the castle where Cayden was waiting. He was leaning against a wall, a phone in his hand. He was frowning down at it before he looked up at us. His ruby eyes scared me even more as the sunlight hit them. He smiled at me, his fangs making an appearance again. I silently prayed that Scourge wouldn't leave me alone with him. I didn't trust him.

"Don't you look pretty today," Cayden told me as we approached him.

"Thanks," I said unsurely. Cayden turned his ruby eyes to Scourge.

"One of your…trainees got out of control earlier. They're in the trailer room waiting for your orders of punishment," he told him.

"Alright," Scourge replied. "I'll see you later, Amy." He hesitated but lowered one of his arms. He grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him. He then pecked a lingering kiss on my forehead. My heart fluttered at the contact, the new warmth tingling in my stomach. He then backed away and walked back the way we came. I watched him go, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable with Cayden. His ruby eyes were scouring me, his head tilting slightly.

"Don't be afraid," he told me. "I have no ill will or any intentions to harm you. I just wish to talk."

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Cayden straightened himself up and nodded to the hallway before us.

"Walk with me," he told me. I nodded in agreement before we began to walk together. "So, I think that it's very…strange that you woke up with no recollection of your mortal life. However, I can see that you've retrieved them."

"How so," I asked in surprise.

"Just because you can't read my mind doesn't mean that I can't read yours." I blushed in embarrassment. "It's still strange though. Your new memories seem to overpower your old ones."

"How is that strange?"

"Because usually human will is stronger than the will vampires have in this life. There have only been few like you who have woken up with no recollection of their mortal lives."

"And what happened to them?"

"They are all respectful leaders of the different races of vampires." My eyes widened as I looked over at him. "Yes, I woke up with no memories as well when I was transformed. I've learned that usually when this happens, it means that the vampire themselves are the first of an original race."

"But…but I thought I was a guardian warrior."

"You have the smell of one," he said bitterly. "But, I cannot sense that you are actually one of them. Instead you seem…different. I noticed that when I met you last night. You seem very…human." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Tell me, do you have any human urges? Do you get hungry; do you wish for companionship, do you wish for a deeper purpose in life?"

"Yes," I murmured. Cayden nodded his head. "Why?"

"There's been speculation that one day there would be a race of vampires who could truly live among humans. Hunters couldn't sense them because they don't crave blood as much, their heart beats, and they can reproduce. Yet, they will have all the abilities of the vampire races combined. They'll have the care and compassion of the Chrestotes, the seduction of the Bana, the intelligence of the Phronimos, the nomadic ability of the Normo, and the powers of the guardian warriors."

"So you're telling me that I'm a mixture of all the races of vampires combined with the abilities of being human."

"Yes. I'm positive that you're the one the Phronimos have been predicting. They predicted that the first would be a young female. Plus everything about you just holds the signs: the lost memory, the human urges, your love for a hunter of all things." I blushed in embarrassment. "I guess it's perfect that you have Scourge wrapped around your finger. You will make good use to my plan."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean that you could be a good wife to Scourge by giving him a couple of vampire children and just keeping him happy. His bad side is not one that you wish to see. Plus you will be a good example for our captives to follow. If they have at least one non-Bana leader then maybe they'll be more cooperative."

"Captives," I asked. Cayden suddenly stopped in front of a door. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked it. He opened the door and nodded for me to go in. I hesitated but walked into the dim lit room. In the large room was what looked like an arena with a large ledge on the perimeter of the higher level. Cayden and I were standing on the large ledge, looking down at the bloody vampires who I now saw were down in the arena looking thing. All of them seemed to be practicing combat with each other while the guards on the lower level stood watch. This wasn't ordinary sparing though. Instead they looked like they were trying to kill each other. They used their strength and their colorful bolts mercilessly; trying desperately to defeat their opponent. My eyes widened as one of the males kicked the other one so hard that he flew across the floor of the arena and slammed right against the wall on the other side. "What the hell is this," I asked Cayden.

"Their kind makes good soldiers."

"Soldiers? Soldiers for what?"

"World domination of course," Cayden said as his mouth curled into an evil smile. "One day, this whole world will be mine." I shuddered at the power lusting look in his ruby eyes. He glanced down at the vampires below us. "Come on; let them train in peace and pray they don't kill each other. We need numbers." He led me out of the room, shutting and the locking the door after us. He walked me back to my room in silence. "I don't want you to be afraid here. No harm will come to you as long as you cooperate with whatever Scourge and I command you to do, understand?"

"Yes," I told him. Cayden smiled.

"Good. Now, run along. You may explore around the castle as you wish just as long as you don't leave the main grounds. We don't need anything to happen to you, now do we?"

"I guess not." Cayden shot me one more smile before heading back down the way we came. I let out a sigh as my nervousness died down. I looked out at the other end of the castle and decided to take a walk by myself. I needed to really think about what Cayden had told me. He had been so vague about everything – well except the explanation of what kind of vampire I truly was. The thought of being the first of a race scared me. I barely knew anything about the race I thought I was before. How I was supposed to figure myself out on my own? Sure, I had Scourge to help me but how much could he possibly know? Plus who said he would help me at all. Since I had basically stepped all over his feelings, I wasn't sure if he would be in the mood to even get me a book to help me figure out what the Phronimos had predicted – and to see if I fit that match.

My mind wandered to Scourge himself. Everyone kept telling me that he was such a bad person – even Cayden had hinted that Scourge had a not-so-nice side that I didn't want to see. But, he was also so kind to me…so caring. He couldn't really be a terrible monster on the inside, could he? From the memories that had resurfaced, I could tell that he was always this gentle-hearted. He had only been in a few fights before in his mortal life but that was for very big reasons in which he beat the other guy to a pulp. As the memories of those fights ran through my head, I couldn't help but to take notice of the evil gleam in his eyes when I was watching him and the sadistic grin he had when I finally pulled him off whoever he was pounding into the ground. Had he always been violent, just in an underlying way?

I found myself in the garden that I had seen the night before as I refocused back into my surroundings. Around me were beautiful flowers and freshly cut bushes. I followed the path through the garden until I came across an opening where there was a large fountain with a couple of glossy stone benches making a semi-circle around it. I was surprised when I saw Scourge's muscular body sitting on one the benches. His back was turned to me but I could see that he was twirling a red rose between his fingers. I slowly approached him, praying that he wasn't still upset. He raised his blue eyes to me as I walked around the bench. "Hey," I told him.

"Hi," he replied.

"May I sit with you?"

"Sure." I sat down beside him and crossed my legs. I stared at the fountain in front of us. It was a silver stone colored sculpture of two full grown angels kissing, the water spurting from the top of their halos. I glanced at Scourge to see that he was staring down at the rose he was twirling. I looked to where the colorful roses were and got up. Without thinking, I walked over to the bush that held the yellow roses and carefully picked one. I then walked back over to Cameron and held it out to him. His eyes were already staring at me since they rose when I had gotten up. Immediately, he smiled at the rose. The light returned to his eyes as did the admiration return. "You're so cute," he told me as he took the rose from me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I told him as I sat back down next to him. He looked to me. His blue eyes gazed over my face for a moment before he raised the red rose and tucked it firmly behind my ear. I blushed as his hand caressed my cheek after he did so.

"So, what did you and Cayden talk about?" He asked.

"He thinks that I'm the first of a new race of vampires."

"He told you about that?" I nodded, a small frown coming upon my face.

"I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about that."

"Maybe you should stop thinking about it and just let it flow," Scourge said with a shrug. "Sometimes that's the only thing you can do."

"I guess." He suddenly got up, causing me to look up at him in surprise.

"Come on; I want to see something." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion but I got up to follow him back into the castle. He led me back upstairs to my room and told me to get changed into something comfortable and then come into his room. I was confused at his request but searched around my closet before I settled on a tank top and a pair of mesh shorts. I tied my hair up into a ponytail and threw on some sneakers before knocking on the adjoining door to his room. "Come in," he called. I walked into his room to see that it looked similar to that of the one at his old house, just in a much bigger space. He was laying on his bed wearing only a pair of basketball shorts. I felt my eyes basically bulge out of my head as I took in his tanned biceps, broad bare chest, and his tight six pack.

"What are you doing," I asked him.

"Calm down," he told me. "I didn't strip to drive you crazy. I wanted to have a little mock fight. Cayden told me to me to start training you but in order for me to start training you, I need to see what you can do."

"I don't know how to do much," I admitted sheepishly.

"Show me," he said as he hopped off of his bed. He walked over to the other side of his room where there was another door. He opened it and walked inside. I tilted my head as I followed him inside. How many adjoining doors were there in this place? In the room was what looked like a small personal gym complete with weights, punching bags, different equipment, and even a small padded ring in the middle of the room. Scourge hopped up onto the ring and sat down on one of the ropes to hold it down. "Come on," he told me. I kicked off my shoes and my socks before hopping into the ring. The floor of it felt like a huge mat under my feet with lots of cushioning. The thought comforted me since I knew he was going to knock me off my feet within the next five minutes. I knew how to fight humans, not vampires. I had a feeling that this would be a humiliating experience.

Scourge came in with me and stood across from me. He motioned his hands for me to come at him. I got into the fighting stance my vampire father had shown me years ago causing Scourge to smile. I stretched my arm out half way to make it look like I was going to punch him before jumping up to kick him. He easily blocked my kick with his arm. I tried to kick him again but he only dodged it. I diverted away from kicking and tried to punch him but he grabbed my wrist and basically threw me on the ground with a flick of his wrist. "Come on, Ames; you fought better than that when we were mortals," he said. At the sound of his comment, a bunch of memories of us wrestling on the floor of my room came back into my mind. My old laughter filled my ears as a short vision of him tickling me while he had me pinned flashed before my eyes. I shook it away as I got back up.

I once again tried to kick Scourge but this time he used his unnatural vampire speed to dodge it. I was confused by the quick movement causing him to smile. I tried to punch him but he once again used his speed to run behind me. I hadn't seen where he'd gone so I was caught off guard when he wrapped his arm around my neck from behind. He crushed me up against his broad chest though his hold didn't hurt me. He was holding me tight enough where I couldn't escape but not enough where he would fully be hurting me. He wrapped one of his legs around mine before twirling me around. He let me go as he did so causing me to lose my balance and fall on the ground. He didn't give me a chance to get up this time. He straddled me as he grabbed my wrists and pinned them over my head. His eyes flashed with a hint of old lust as he stared down at me in my helpless position. The flash didn't last long, however. He quickly rid of it and got into his right state of mind.

"We have a lot of work to do," he told me as he shook his head. He then spent the rest of the day teaching me how to fight – against vampires. He showed me the advantage of having my mind reading skills as well as how to teleport. I don't know why he taught me how to do that but he did. It was quite easy though. All I had to do was close my eyes and concentrate on being somewhere else – specifically though. By the time we got done with that training, I was sweaty, tired, and starving. As I took a shower, he somehow got ahold of two large pizzas for me. We ate in his room while we watched TV. His happiness seemed to have returned, the events of the night before forgotten.

For the next month, he seemed to have returned to his normal self – well the one that he'd shown me. The only time I saw him out of character was when I had to watch him discipline the guardian warriors he was training. He then turned into the evil, crazy Scourge that everyone kept telling me about. He would literally yell at the vampire before either hitting them or forcing them to fight against him in which he would just straight up hand their behinds to them. I frequently went with him to their brutal training sessions since May didn't seem to want me in my room while she was tidying it up.

Scourge also became well acquainted with training me as well. He helped me explore my purple bolts and my mind reading skills. He also began helping me research what exactly I was. While there wasn't a name for it, he did help me narrow down what exactly abilities I had. Most of them were the same as Cayden had mentioned: overly caring, overly intelligent with a bit too much overthinking, very seductive – when I chose to be, easily adaptable, has powers, and has human urges. I truly was the one that the Phronimos had predicted. When Scourge and I finally put that together, I had to admit that I was a bit scared. I was the first of my kind and no one but the Bana knew about me. The Bana weren't exactly the nicest vampires which meant that I had to be very careful about what I did around them. Just because I was the first didn't mean that I could also be the last.

My feelings for Scourge still harbored as we spent time together but I tried hard to fight against them. He didn't push his own emotions either though. Instead, he let me have my space and only gave me the friendly gestures he had given me before. He didn't try to kiss me again though he did frequently fall asleep in my bed. That was usually because we would be watching a movie or talking and we'd somehow just end up falling asleep. He never pushed any type of sexual acts on me, at all. He was very…considerate when it came to me and my feelings.

He was so considerate, in fact, that he let me visit home. Throughout my stay with him, I had been experiencing longing for my family. I worried about Adrian and I missed my mother's warm love. I also missed Blaze and Cream and…Sonic. While I may have had small feelings for Scourge, my ones for Sonic still conquered above all. At night, sometimes I would wonder if he were thinking about me…if he still loved me. My heart still longed for him to come back to me though I knew that would probably never happen.

However, I was still excited to visit home. Scourge let me teleport back to Orlando before driving me back to my house. He eyed the house wearily as I unbuckled my seatbelt. "You sure you're going to be okay?" He asked me.

"Yes. I'm going to be fine. Thank you again for letting me do this."

"Sure," he said simply. He leaned over to kiss my temple. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Okay," I told him before getting out of the car. I quickly walked up to the front door and let myself in. "I'm alive," I yelled into the house. My voice echoed back at me. I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion as my stomach took a churn. Where was my family? They hadn't moved away; I'd seen their cars outside the house. I walked cautiously into the kitchen to see that it was empty yet perfectly clean…too clean. My bad feeling increased as I walked up the steps and saw that all the doors were closed upstairs. I immediately ran to Adrian's room and tried to open the door. It was locked. I silently swore before kicking down the door using my vampire strength.

The first thing I saw was my poor little brother tied to his bed. He had a rag tied around his mouth and his wrists were tied to the bottom of his bed post. My eyes widened as I noticed that his side was bleeding. "Adrian," I yelled. "Oh my God!" He was unconscious at that moment so he didn't hear me. I ran up to me and shook his shoulders. "Adrian! Adrian wake up!" My brother groaned as his eyes fluttered. "Thank God," I murmured. I began to untie him as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He mumbled something that I couldn't make out due to the rag. I quickly took it off of him.

"Ames," He whispered as he threw his head back against his bed. I finished untying his wrists. "Ames, you need to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you here. I made that mistake already and look where that's gotten you." He let out a soft groan. "You need to get to Blaze's house. Is it safe there? Where's Amber and Richard?"

"I don't know." I didn't have time to ask him another question before I heard the front door creak open. I looked at Adrian's door-less doorway and swore. I quickly picked my brother up and set him in his closet. "What are you doing," he asked.

"Just stay quiet for me, will you?"

"Ames, no, you can't…"

"Shhh. Just hang in there. I'll be back for you, I promise. I'll call Scourge; he'll help you."

"Don't you dare," he growled. I sighed.

"Okay but just stay here and don't make a sound." He slowly nodded in response. I closed his closet door, shielding him, before turning my attention to the footsteps I heard circling around the house. One of the footsteps were slowly coming up the steps. I quietly creeped out Adrian's room. The hallway was still clear so I tried to open my room door. Thankfully this one wasn't locked. Just as I was about to slip inside, the familiar smell of peaches and sandalwood that I'd missed so much filled my nose. I looked up from my task to meet light eyes.

He was clothed in all black, a loaded rifle in his hand. His shirt hugged his torso, outlining his firm chest and tight abdomen. My heart skipped a beat the memory of when I used to run my hands all over his chest and arms. His beautiful face, though holding a look of utter shock, caused butterflies to arise in my stomach. He blinked a couple of times, his eyes scouring me in confusion. "Sonic," I murmured. His mouth twitched as a glare overcame his beautiful face.

"I told you it wasn't over," he murmured coldly, his voice sending a shiver of both pleasure and fear down my spine.

"Fuck," I murmured as he began to charge towards me. I slipped into my room and tried to close the door. Sadly I wasn't quick enough to shut it completely before he reached me. I had it at an opportune enough crack when he got there that he stuck the rifle between the door and the doorway, preventing me from closing the door completely. I pushed against the door, trying desperately to close it. He pushed it as well with his shoulders, our strengths squaring up against each other. Sadly, his won over mine. He basically smacked the door so hard that he pushed the door open and knocked me to the floor.

He quickly got on top of me, straddling my hips, and pressed the gun down against my neck to choke me. Sadly, I did need to breathe due to the type of vampire I was so his attack did slow me down. However, I got the gun's body inside my hands and I managed to snap it in half with my strength. "Shit," he muttered as he realized what I'd done. Without thinking, I grabbed one of the broken halves out of his hand and smacked him right in the head with it. The blow knocked him off of me but I immediately felt bad afterwards. The blow had drawn a bit of a wound on the side of his head. I wanted to apologize but the glare he gave me as he recuperated told me that I'd better run if I wanted to live.

I got to my feet but he, even in his dazed state, was faster than me. He got up as well and grabbed me as I lunged towards the door. One of his arms wrapped around my waist to keep me close while the other wrapped tightly around my neck, cutting off my windpipe. I wiggled in his grasp, gasping desperately for air as I did so. His grip only tightened at my movements, causing my breaths to be lost faster. The room began to blur before my eyes as my body's oxygen level lowered. He must've noticed I was about to pass out since he threw me onto the floor. I didn't have time to catch my breath before he kicked me right in the stomach. "Stop," I yelled before he could strike again. I held my hand out in front of me as I struggled to get onto my knees. I looked up at him to see that he was staring at me, a glare placed on his face but the rage that were in them before had lessened. "Please stop," I begged. "I don't want to fight you." He raised an eyebrow before we both heard the sound of my front door opening again. Male voices rang softly in my acute ears, growing stronger as the footsteps quickly made their way up the steps. Sonic kept an eye on me as he moved slowly towards my door.

Within a moment, I saw his father walk in also dressed in all black. Behind him were two other men who looked to be around his age, both with dark hair, dark eyes, and deeply tanned skin. All of them were holding rifles. Jules looked to his son, his dark eyes gazing over his body. They lingered on the wound on his head. The other two men quickly advanced towards me, pointing their guns at me. I stayed still, keeping my eyes on Sonic. "I'm fine," he told his father. His lime eyes glanced at me. "She didn't put up much of a fight. She's pretty harmless for a vampire."

"Vampires are not harmless," one of the other men said. "This one is your ex-girlfriend, isn't it? If she didn't hurt you before then I doubt she would try to hurt you now." He waved his gun at me. "You skipped town; why'd you come back?" I reluctantly looked up at the man. I didn't respond. Instead, I just stared up at him. He scowled at my actions. "Not gonna talk, huh?" The man looked to Sonic's father. "Should we kill her?"

"No," Sonic said quickly. All of the men looked to him in confusion. "She knows information; I know she does. The guy she skipped town with was also a vampire, one of the evil bastard ones to be exact. I doubt he let her come back without giving her some type of knowledge about what's going on with all of the raids that happened."

"How do you expect to get that information out of her" the other man challenged. Sonic hesitated, his light green eyes looking to me. I saw him actually think about his answer before he slowly responded.

"She'll talk to me…if we're alone. I'll get as much information as I can out of her and then…then we'll decide what to do with her."

"I don't trust you alone with her," his father said. "What if she decides to lash out on you?"

"I can handle it," Sonic snapped back. "She knows what I'm capable of so I doubt she'll even try it." Jules stared at his son for a moment before slowly nodding his head. He commanded the other two men to leave with him; they were all going to wait outside the door in case Sonic needed them. I watched them go, slowly getting to my feet. One of the men had handed Sonic their rifle as they left. He immediately pointed it at me when he noticed I had stood up. "Sit down," he commanded.

"Okay," I murmured as I leaned against the wall. I slowly sank back down onto the floor and brought my knees up to my chest when I was settled. Sonic walked closer to me, the mouth of the rifle aimed perfectly at my head.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Why was Adrian tied up," I countered. "Where are my parents?"

"Answer my question."

"Answer mines first…please. I'll answer any question you want if you just tell me why you had to bring my family into this." Sonic's lime eyes hardened.

"We originally came here looking for you but you weren't here and your family was. They weren't very cooperative so we did what we had to do."

"Where are my parents?"

"I don't know. I was just told to watch Adrian; he's been a handful."

"You hurt him," I asked. Sonic's eyes looked over my surprised yet hurt expression and I saw them soften the slightest bit. He opened his mouth and then closed it once more as he thought over his answer.

"I didn't do the damage you think I did. I just tied him up and deprived him of blood, that's all."

"I want you to let him go." Sonic's lips pulled up into an amused smile.

"You really think I care about what you want?" He let out a dark chuckle. "Humor me."

"If you want me to talk then you'll let him go."

"If you don't talk then I'll just kill you."

"If you were going to kill me then you would've done it already," I said sharply. "Let my brother go. He's been through enough." Sonic's mouth curled into a frown. "Please. He has nothing to do with this. You're angry with me, not him. Don't punish him or my parents for what I did to you. They're not bad vampires. They mind their own business and they've never harmed anyone. Please let them go."

"Fine," Sonic said simply. He walked slowly towards the door and opened it. I heard him murmur a command to release my family to his comrades before he closed the door back. I could hear the men outside complaining about their command but I did hear their footsteps venture to Adrian's room to comply. "Now talk," Sonic said.

"I came back to visit my family," I replied.

"Where have you been?"

"Europe. I'm not sure of specifically where, just that I was in the Bana Castle."

"That's in England," Sonic commented. "What were you doing there?"

"Scourge took me there. He…he followed through on what he sent his minions to do." Sonic crinkled his eyebrows together as I saw a flash of worry run through his beautiful green eyes. He lowered the gun the slightest bit.

"He kidnapped you?"

"Well, I went by free will so I wouldn't exactly call it kidnapping. He didn't hold me hostage or anything. He let me roam around the castle as I liked. He didn't hurt me nor did he put any commands on me. He just kept me there."

"Hm, is he important in their society?"

"Yes. He's one of the six dukes. Their leader uses middle aged terminology."

"So, you must know something about what they want with changing these humans, don't you?"

"Yes," I murmured sadly. "They…they're trying to build an army of guardian warriors. They've been transforming humans in order to build their numbers. They've also been kidnapping the guardian warriors that already exist so that they can train them. That's why Adrian's so traumatized; the training is very…life-threatening and brutal."

"What the hell do they need an army for?"

"The Bana leader, Cayden, is trying to take over the world. I don't know why he is but he just really wants world domination for some reason. He's using his dukes to train the different branches of the army and he thinks that he can use me to keep the captives in order. He thinks that a non-Bana leader will urge them to cooperate more or something."

"He's trying to get you to become a leader?"

"No, he wants me to marry Scourge." Sonic's eyes suddenly flashed with a strong anger. His eyes went livid as his jaw tightened. "He…he thinks that I'll keep Scourge's temper down by being with him and raising a family and just trying to keep him at bay. Apparently he can be a bit of a handful when he's pissed off and Cayden needs him to stay focused on his task."

"Like hell you're marrying that fucking psycho," Sonic muttered under his breath. "Wait, vampires can't reproduce." He tilted his head as his eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. "What the hell was the leader talking about when he said that?"

"I'm…I'm the first of a new race of vampires. That's why I woke up with no recollection of my old life. I don't have a name for my race yet but I hold all the aspects of the other races along with some mortal traits. I get hungry, I can bear and nurture children and I don't crave blood as much as normal vampires; I can go without it for a lot longer."

"What the hell," Sonic muttered. "This shit sounds like something out of a movie."

"Tell me about it," I said as a soft smile tugged at my lips. Sonic ran a hand through his blue curls. My stomach fluttered as I remembered how silky and soft his hair had felt between my fingers. I longed to reach out and twist his curls around my fingers – just like I used to when we would watch movies and he would lay his head on my chest. My heart warmed at the memory.

"Thanks," Sonic said suddenly, surprising me. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "For cooperating. Now we can figure out a plan on how to deal with everything."

"Oh. You're welcome…I guess." Sonic glanced at the door but made no action to step towards it. He seemed reluctant to leave yet hesitant to stay. His eyes remained on me though I could see the internal battle behind them. The hunter side of him wanted to hate me and be disgusted by the sight of me yet his inner self, the side he had only shown to me, wanted to hold me and comfort me. I wished he would act on his inner self; I longed for the same things he did. If only he would realize that. Then maybe we would be able to get through this together.

Just as he seemed to have lowered his gun the slightest bit more, we both heard the sound of glass smashing in one of the other rooms. The loud noise echoed through my ears, causing me to flinch away from the direction of where it came from. Sonic immediately raised his gun back up at me though his eyes had now gone to the door. He took one small side step towards it before I heard one of the men yelling. "Get the hell out," he exclaimed. "Everyone get the hell out!" The next thing I heard was a loud crash causing both Sonic and I to flinch. His eyes had widened in surprise though I could see some fear underlying in them as well. Another loud sound that sounded like something had collided rang in my ears. The noise was followed by the sound of gun shots.

"Shit," Sonic muttered his breath. He looked to me, aiming his gun to my head. His green eyes were filled with anger now, the infamous glare he used to give me coming back upon his face. "What the hell did you do? You got your brother to tell him didn't you," he yelled at me.

"What? No, no, Adrian doesn't trust Scourge. Adrian wouldn't go to him…" Right after I'd spoken, my room door was kicked open. I flinched away from the door, the sound once hurting my ears. Sonic immediately turned his body so that he was fully facing the door, his gun held up high in front of him. His eyes darkened the slightest bit as I saw the hunter in him begin to take over his senses. Immediately, he pulled the trigger on the gun.

My eyes caught a slight glimpse of Scourge standing in the doorway, his usually blue eyes now red with anger, before he used his speed to dodge the bullet. Sonic seemed confused at the demonstration of Scourge's actual stealth. The confusion didn't last long before he had to get his mind back on track. Scourge had actually sped up towards him and knocked the gun right out of his hands. He then grabbed Sonic's neck and held him up off of the ground. My eyes widened as I saw his hand tighten around my ex-boyfriend's neck. "Stop," I yelled. Tears began to brim my eyes as I saw Sonic's feet struggling to kick Scourge so that he'd let him go. His tanned face was turning an unnatural shade of blue. My still beating heart sped up as the thought of Scourge killing him crossed my mind. I couldn't let Sonic die. I couldn't let anything happen to him. Just because he hated me didn't mean anything. I loved him and I wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

"Scourge stop," I yelled.

"Shut the hell up, Amy," Scourge snapped back. "This mortal has caused you so much pain…so much misery. He deserves to die."

"Scourge, please don't kill him."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because I will never forgive you if you do." My statement seemed to have struck a nerve in Scourge. His jaw tightened though he immediately dropped Sonic back down to the ground. My old lover began to cough violently, struggling to get his breath back. I got up from my spot on the floor and immediately ran past Scourge to him. I put my hand on his back causing him to look at me from the corner of his eye. His light green eyes showed his confusion at my action though I ignored it. "Just relax and breathe," I told him. "You'll be okay." His eyes remained on me for a moment before they flicked to Scourge. I looked up at my old best friend to see that he was staring at me, his ruby eyes livid. I questioned his gaze before I realized what I had done. I had basically gave away confidential information to what was supposed to be the enemy. I had told them about Cayden's plans and about what I was – something of which was supposed to stay secret. Scourge had probably read my mind to see what the hunter had done to me out of worry but instead found out about my betrayal. I was in so much trouble…

I didn't have time to get up before Scourge grabbed ahold of my arms and yanked me up. I bit my lip to hide the small yelp that wanted to escape my lips from the pain of him almost ripping my arms out their sockets. Sonic picked his head up, his eyes widening with worry as Scourge dragged me to the other side of the room. I didn't struggle against his hold; I didn't want to piss him off any more than he already was. Once we were a good distance away from Sonic, I felt the familiar winds of teleporting swirl around my legs. Fear bubbled in my stomach as I realized that Scourge was taking me back to the castle. I was afraid of what he was going to do to me. Sure, what I had done may not have been much but it was enough in his eyes. I kept my eyes on Sonic who was watching us with wide, worried eyes. He met my gaze and I saw the care that he harbored for me return to the surface. I mouthed an "I love you" to him causing him to get up. He yelled my name as he lunged towards us. However, it was too late. We were already gone.

**Review if you wish...**


	24. Punishment

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 23: Punishment**

When the winds cleared, the first thing I saw was the familiar color décor of my room in the Bana castle. The familiarity didn't make me feel safe though. Instead I felt a bit uncomfortable and even a bit afraid. I could tell that Scourge was upset with me but I couldn't exactly read his mind to figure out just how upset. I didn't want him to blow his lid on me. I didn't want to see the monster that everyone kept describing to me.

I slowly began to turn around in his grasp to look up at him. His eyes weren't red anymore, they had returned to their natural blue color but the lividness in them didn't die. His mouth curled into a deep frown as he stared into my eyes. I opened my mouth to say something but I wasn't sure if there was anything I could say. I didn't think Scourge would care for an apology or a bargain to earn his forgiveness. If anything, I thought he wanted to just rip my head off.

"Where's Adrian," I asked softly. "He's weak and-"

"I know," Scourge said sharply. "He's in the infirmary getting his strength back. He's going to need every ounce of it." I crinkled my eyebrows together.

"What? Why? You promised he would be safe here."

"That was before I realized how much of a manipulating, back-stabbing bitch you were." He grabbed a handful of my hair and tilted it back. I whimpered under the pain but I made no move to fight against him. His angry blue eyes stared down at me, his underlying love for me still strong though overpowered by his rage. "You have no idea what you did by telling those hunters what you were and what Cayden was planning. Do you know what they could do with that information?" He snapped at me. "They could easily attempt to stop us which will just slow down the whole fucking process. We were getting so close to finally being able to put Cayden's plan in motion until you and your little emotions got involved. Now we're going to be held off even more." He threw me onto the ground. "All those years of training those idiots gone down the drain and it's all because I wanted to protect you." He shook his head. "You didn't even think about protecting your own kind did you? Were you only thinking about that feeble human that you love so much?"

"I just wanted Adrian to be safe," I told him. "I had to talk to insure that they wouldn't hurt him after they let him go. He didn't exactly have much strength to go anywhere." Scourge narrowed his eyes.

"Fucking bullshit," he snapped. "You were hoping that your little human would come sweep you off your feet and rescue you from the big bad vampire. You were hoping he'd change his mind about you. You were hoping that he was going to put his trust back into you. Weren't you?"

"No."

"Don't fucking lie to me," Scourge exclaimed. His blue eyes were now wild with an anger that sent chills down my spine. I was honestly surprised he hadn't tried to put his hands on me yet. He sure was angry enough to beat me down and punish me for what I'd done. I wondered why he hadn't done it yet. He ran his hands through his green hair as he let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't understand what's so special about him anyway. He's just a stupid mortal! He wasn't the one who went through Hell and back for you. He wasn't the one who loved you unconditionally even when you weren't with him. He wasn't the one who searched endlessly for you. He wasn't the one made a promise to love you and protect you forever; he wasn't the one who held on to that promise. So why? Why him? Why don't you love me?"

Some of the anger had vanished from Scourge's face, leaving his beautiful face in a soft frown and sad eyes. He stared down at me with desperation, his blue eyes ticking with millions of reasons of why I should love him. They were also ticking with a million more questions of why I didn't love him. When it was all said and done, yes he did do a lot for me – he sacrificed a lot for me. Behind whatever evil persona that he took on in this life, there was still the Scourge whom I'd loved in my mortal life…the Scourge who loved me. All he wanted was for us to be happy. That's all he ever wanted. The reminder of that made my heart heavy. God, he was such a poor, tortured soul. I wished that I could hold him and comfort him and tell him that it wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault that I couldn't love him in the way I used to. It was my own and I hated how guilty I felt about that. If I could love Scourge the unconditional way he wanted me to then I knew that I would. He had been nothing but kind to me. How come I couldn't just repay his small wish for love in return?

In answer to my question, I saw an image of Sonic's beautiful smile flash behind my eyes. My heart hurt even more as I was reminded of how much I did love that boy. We had grown so much together and he had become such an important part of my new life. He had captured my heart in an old-fashioned way and he opened up to me in ways that he couldn't to others. Our love was genuine and divine and true. That's why I couldn't love Scourge. While my lingering feelings for him may have been strong and I couldn't deny that I loved him, my love for Sonic was much stronger than that. I loved him with my entire heart and that would never change. He could hate me all he wanted but I would always care for him. He would always have my heart.

"I…I'm sorry, Scourge," I told him. He ran his hands through his hair again as he shook his head.

"You really can't love me can you," he asked sadly.

"It's not that I don't love you; I do care about you."

"But you love him more," he whispered sadly. A muscle in his jaw jumped as he looked away. His face hardened as his blue eyes stared down at the floor. I slowly got up, wrapping my arms around myself as I did so. Scourge looked at me when I was back on my feet, his blue eyes guarded. His blue topaz eyes analyzed my body before they rested on my face. He began to walk towards me. I stayed still as he did so, trying not to test his patience. He caressed my face softly when he reached me. "Amy, Amy," he cooed. "What am I to do with you now?"

"Now?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows.

"Bad actions come with consequences," he whispered. His hand fell from my face down to my neck. His hand continued to travel down towards my chest but I stepped back before he could reach it. His hand immediately grabbed my hip and he pulled me right back against him. I softly gasped as I felt fear ball up into my throat. His lips went down to my ear, their soft touch brushing against my skin as he spoke. "Now you have two options with your punishment: you can either sit back, relax, and enjoy or you can scream and struggle and make it the worst couple of hours of your life. It's all up to you." I let out a shaky breath.

"Scourge, please don't," I whimpered. His arm tightened around my waist.

"I've waited long enough, Amy. I told you before that my patience was long gone. Since I can't have your heart then I guess I'll have to settle for your body."

"Scourge, no; please don't." His hand reached for the zipper at the back of my dress. I wiggled in his grasp but he only held on to me tighter.

"Calm down, Amy. Just relax…"

"Let me go," I whimpered as I felt tears brim my eyes. He tugged at my zipper as his lips dipped down to my neck. He ignored the rest of my pleas and cries as he continued on with my "punishment". While I did actually try to relax and be calm, a part of me just couldn't help but to still feel the pain. He was taking my body against my will, taking some of my dignity. Plus he was merciless with his actions, intentionally making me feel whatever pain he felt inside. I wished that it didn't have to come to that. I wished that he didn't have to hurt me. I wished that he had just forgotten all about me in the first place.

I tried not to dwell on the pain I was still experiencing once he was finished. Every part of my body hurt from his tight grasps, harsh bites, and even his forced kisses. My lower abdomen hurt the most; it hurt so bad to the point where I wanted to cry. But I couldn't cry. He stayed in the room with me for a while once my punishment was over. He seemed to have regretted his actions as he wrapped me up into his arms and held me as if he cared. He tried to get me to sleep, cooing that my body needed the rest. I ignored him though. I didn't trust myself falling asleep around him. I feared that the moment I let my guard down was the moment he would repeat my punishment. I feared him in general. The pain he'd put my body through was excruciating and the after effect made me feel so dirty. I felt as if I could still feel his unwelcome hands exploring my body as his poisonous kisses and sharp teeth attacked my neck. I wanted to wash the feeling away but he wouldn't let me get out the bed – not until he had to leave himself.

Once he finally left my room, sparing me a kiss on the forehead as he did so, I let all of my tears fall. I let the strength that I had been trying to hold on to fall away from me. I let my vulnerability come to its peak. I let myself give up the fight. I lay in that bed and just accepted whatever fate was coming my way. I knew that Scourge was more than likely going to keep me in his grasp – he didn't care whether I loved him or not. In his mind, his love for me was all that really had to matter. I also knew that Cayden was more than likely going to make me marry Scourge and help him reign over his sector of captive guardian warriors. I wish I knew, though, how my own race would somehow play a role in all of this. While I did have Scourge to help me before, I didn't want him near me then. That meant that I was on my own – completely since I didn't even know where my brother was. Scourge's statement of how he wasn't going to be safe in the castle anymore made me regret even going back home. I was throwing Adrian right back into whatever had traumatized him in the first place. I never wanted for that to happen. I wanted him to be safe. All I wanted was for him to be safe.

When I finally did drag myself into the shower, I stayed in there for a solid three hours. I kept scrubbing at my body, trying desperately to get the gross feeling off my skin. However, the disgusting sensation on my body didn't go away. While it had lessened, it was still there. Scourge had permanently tainted whatever goodness I had thought about my body. He had destroyed the bliss that Sonic used to give me. He left scars on my mind.

Once I got out the shower, I dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a comfortable tee shirt. I curled back up into my bed and tried to read one of my favorite books. I wanted to get my mind off of the events of earlier that day and just forget about the pain my body was still experiencing. The book served as a good distraction, the love story taking my mind to a whole other time and world. I think I ended up reading for the rest of the night before I fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning with my head in the book I was reading with my blanket wrapped tight around my body. Immediately, the seductive scent of the Bana filled my nose. However this wasn't Scourge's familiar scent. Instead it was one that I wasn't quite familiar with. I quickly opened my eyes to see Cayden standing at my open window. He was dressed in a nice pair of slacks, a red button down shirt, and a pair of dress shoes. His dark brown hair was brushed back away from his face, leaving his ruby eyes out in the open. They flicked to me as I shot up in my bed. I felt the familiar fear I'd experienced the night before build up inside my throat. While I knew that Scourge may not seriously hurt me, I didn't know what to expect out of Cayden. He was the head of the Bana meaning that he had to be the most evil of them all. If he had found out that I had told hunters about his plan then I knew that I was dead.

"Good morning, Amy," he told me casually. "How did you sleep? I heard that you had a very…eventful day yesterday."

"What…what do you want," I asked. Cayden tilted his head at me.

"Are you afraid? Dear, you have no reason to be afraid of me. I'm not the one who will be inflicting harm on you." I shuddered at the thought of another punishment coming my way. I could barely handle the one that Scourge had given me. How was I supposed to deal with more? I mean how bad was it that I told the hunters that Cayden wanted world domination? My parents had known about his plan; I think the other vampires knew about his plans. So what was so bad about the hunters knowing? It wasn't as if they could do anything to seriously stop them. If anything, they were just going to be a nuisance in the Bana's way.

I didn't have time to respond before my room door opened once more. Scourge walked inside wearing a pair of jeans and a plain tee shirt. His green hair was messy atop his head and his eyes were weary. He looked as if he had just woken up. His blue eyes looked to me and I felt the fear in my throat strengthen. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes softening. However the softness wasn't the usual one of care. Instead the change of tone signaled pity and a bit of sadness.

"Everything is ready," Scourge told his leader as he looked over at him. Cayden nodded.

"Good. You can take the girl down there so that we can get the punishment over with. Then we can all start anew." Cayden looked to me. "You might wanna get changed, sweetheart. You've got a long couple of hours ahead of you." I crinkled my eyebrows together as I watched Cayden walk out of my room. Scourge walked to my drawers and pulled out one of my training outfits that consisted of a tank top and yoga shorts. I pulled my blanket closer to me as he walked over to my bed. He set the clothes down next to me before perching down next to me.

"Get dressed," he told me simply. I stared at him for a moment before slowly moving out of my bed to comply with his command. I quickly changed my clothes in front of him and threw on a pair of sneakers. Once I was finished, I walked to my vanity mirror to pull my hair up into a ponytail. Scourge walked up behind me as I wrestled with my hair, his blue eyes filled with an emotion that I couldn't put my finger on. He seemed to want to say something but didn't know what. He kept opening and closing his mouth, the words not forming on his tongue.

"You don't have to say anything," I murmured.

"Yes I do," he replied. "I…I don't want you to hate me nor do I want you to be afraid of me." He came closer, his hands aiming for my hips. I immediately turned around and backed away. Scourge frowned at me. "Amy," he told me as he took a step towards me. "I'm sorry about last night. I'm not sorry for taking your body but I am sorry for taking it against your will. You just…you just don't understand how hard it's been to watch you walk around loving someone else when I have put so much effort in trying to get you to love me."

"But that didn't mean that you had to rape me," I told him. "You didn't have to do that to me."

"Yes I did."

"Why? Is that normal for the Bana? Do you all just go around raping girls when they don't love you back?"

"We take what we want, Amy." His voice deepened and took on a colder tone. The soft gaze in his eyes had faded, leaving the wild, almost crazy look in his blue orbs. "I've wanted you for years and I restrained myself for over a month to not…do that to you. But I warned you many times before: my patience has run out." His hands quickly reached out to grab my waist and pull me close against him. He wasn't gentle with the action, causing me to slam right up against him. "After today, after Cayden sees that you have a fit punishment, I will have you. You'll truly be mine and there will be nothing you or your little feeble human can do about that." I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"What are you talking about? Are you going to brainwash me or something?"

"You'll see," Scourge said simply. "Come; we're already late enough as it is."

Scourge led me around the other end of the castle to a large, dim lit room. The room reeked of old non-human blood and was built with black brick walls. Inside the room, the walls were lined with various weapons and torture tools. In the very back of the room, I noticed a small cell. Cayden along with two other buff Bana were in the room. They seemed to have been waiting for us. Scourge dragged me towards them as my fear caused me to freeze up. I stared around at all the weapons around me, my stomach churning. The room reminded me of the one in Sonic's house – with similar weapons. What were they going to do to me? Were they going to kill me?

Scourge led me to some chains that were hanging from the ceiling and began to lock my wrists in them. As he did so, I watched as Cayden picked down a few whips that had small pricks of wood coming out from them. My eyes widened at the sight and I squirmed in my chains. "Stay still," Scourge commanded me. I obeyed his command although the fearful butterflies in my stomach increased as I saw Cayden take out a red blindfold from his pocket. He threw the blindfold to Scourge who set it over my eyes, leaving me completely in the dark. I whimpered as I felt his hands fall away from my face.

"Okay, Scourge, do your thing," I heard Cayden say. I was confused for a moment before I felt Scourge pushing a thought into my mind. The image was of Sonic attacking me, his gun pointed at my head. Before my emotions could react to the image, I felt a sharp pain come across my legs. I yelled in agony but the pain continued. Eventually the image turned into a vision of Sonic beating me unmercifully, the pain he was giving me matching that of the one I was actually experiencing. I managed to catch on to what they were doing, trying to have me develop an adverse association towards Sonic. From my realization, I managed not to fall into the trap they were putting me in. While I watched the visions and took the pain, I just took the pain for what it was instead of associating it with Sonic. It wasn't his fault that I was in this situation. It was my own and I had to deal with it. While the Bana wanted me to hate him, I knew that I couldn't. I loved him too much.

The repeated blows stopped after a couple of hours and they unchained me. By then, though, I was bloody and weak and craving energy. I needed blood or food or water even. My body had taken a lot from the punishment and needed it's time to recover. They didn't give me the resources I needed, however. Instead they put me in the small cell and left me there.

I lay there for a long while after I managed to get my blindfold off using my beaten arms. I looked over my body to see that I had various deep cuts and bruises all over. The lingering pain was worse than the pain I'd received when they were actually punishing me. My whole body burned and my head ached. I shed some tears due to the pain but other than that, I tried not to cry. Instead, I tried to focus. I tried to remember how to teleport. I needed to get out of there before they came back. I couldn't pretend that their little method worked and give myself to Scourge – not after what he'd done to me. While I did worry about leaving Adrian here, I knew that he wouldn't be safe if I stayed here. I needed to get out; I needed to get help.

Behind my clothes eyelids, I focused on Sonic's old room with his various posters, his welcoming bed, and his sweet scent. While I doubted that he would help me, it was the first place I could think of to go. I couldn't go to my house or Blaze's house. Scourge knew where we lived. I had to go somewhere where he wouldn't find me and then work myself up from there. Besides, Sonic might've known where my parents were. If I found them then they might know how to break Adrian out of whatever Hell hole the Bana had stuck him in. Once we got him out then we could plan how to handle everything else. Right then, however, we just needed to get away from Scourge.

I focused my remaining energy to teleport from the small jail cell to the floor of Sonic's room. The wind was slow to pick up and actually take me to where I wanted to go but it got me there nonetheless. Slowly, I found myself in Sonic's familiar room. To my surprise, he was actually in the room. He was laying on his bed, his laptop in his lap. His eyes had widened as I appeared in his room. He looked surprised, scared, and relieved all at the same time. Once again, the care I'd seen before arose in his eyes. I took in his beautiful eyes, his tight jaw, his silky hair, and his muscular build. A smile almost came upon my lips at the sight.

"Amy," he asked, his Hispanic tongue rolling my name the way he used to. The sound brought butterflies to my stomach. I opened my mouth to say his name back but my weak legs collapsed from under me. I fell onto my knees and hands on the ground as he called my name again. He quickly got off of his bed and came to my side. "Jesus," he murmured as he looked over my wounds. He hesitated but reached out to grab me. I leaned against his shoulder, the familiar feel against my cheek causing my body to relax. He wrapped his arm around my waist while the other went under my legs. He picked me up, cradling me in his arms. "Cream," he yelled.

"What," Cream yelled back as Sonic carried me into the hallway.

"Get out here! We've got an emergency!"

"What are you talking about," Cream asked as she poked her head out of her doorway. Her blue eyes immediately went to me in Sonic's arms and they widened. "Holy shit," she exclaimed. "Is that Amy?"

"Yes! Go call my dad and tell him that we've got a problem then get me some bandages and food and come to the bathroom to help me clean her up!" Cream nodded before rushing down the steps. Sonic continued walking to the bathroom where he sat me down on the toilet. My head leaned against the wall as I let out a moan of pain. My ex-boyfriend ran the faucet in the bathtub before going to work on getting my clothes off. It wasn't exactly hard since the cloth was ripped up from the whips scratching against them. He was super gentle with my body, trying hard not to touch my wounds. By the time he got all of my clothes off, the bathtub was filled with a good amount of water to bathe in. Sonic gently lifted me off the toilet and set me into the hot water of the bathtub. My wounds burned with the contact causing me to hiss. "Shh," he told me as he ran a soft hand through my hair. His light green eyes were soft as they analyzed my wounded, naked body. "Did _he _do this to you," he asked.

"Somewhat," I murmured though it hurt my throat to talk. My voice came out raspy and low causing Sonic to frown.

"Your voice…what's wrong with it?" I slowly picked up my hand to point at my throat. Sonic raised his eyebrows in concern as he waited for me to elaborate on that.

"Burns…need blood," I whispered. Sonic's eyes flashed with the slightest bit of disgust. I leaned my head back against the wall at the end of his bathtub. "Hurts," I murmured. "Everything…hurts." Sonic's frown deepened.

"I know, Amy, I know." He raised his hand to gently rub my cheek with his knuckles. His light green eyes analyzed my pale face, softening with every second that he stared at me. I wanted to reach out and touch his own face but that required too much energy. I could barely hold up my head, let alone raise my hand again. My eyes began to droop as my vision blurred slightly. "Don't close your eyes. Don't go to sleep."

"Rest," I murmured, my voice almost inaudible. Sonic's knuckles that were still rubbing my cheek stopped their movement. His hand hesitated but slowly moved down my lips. He pressed his inner lips against my lips, the smell of his sweet blood wrapping around me.

"Here," Sonic said. "Drink some of my blood." I stared at him wearily. His face seemed determined to make me go through with his task though I could see the reluctance behind his expression. I was grateful for the fact that he was offering but at the same time, I didn't want to force him into something he didn't want to do. He really didn't want me to drink his blood; he just wanted me to get better. But maybe the thought was what mattered. He cared about my well-being – he still cared about me.

I let my fangs sharpen as I opened my mouth. Sonic pressed his wrist into my mouth, close enough for my fangs to pierce his fragile skin. He grimaced at the soft pinch but I ignored it. Instead I went on to savor the sweet taste of his blood. His blood tasted like cinnamon mixed with chocolate. It may sound like a strange combination but it tasted delicious to me. Usually blood always tasted the same to me so his new taste was a surprise and treat to me. I drank tentatively, keeping in mind that I couldn't drink all of his blood. I did need him to be alive for me. So, I drank for a couple of minutes to get enough blood that my energy was restored and my body was rejuvenated.

Cream appeared in the doorway just as I released Sonic's wrist from my mouth. She was holding a big first aid kit as well as some rolls of bandages. She immediately put the stuff down next to Sonic before going to the mirror cabinet above the sink to pull out some alcohol. "What did my father say," Sonic asked her.

"He said that if they hurt her then they must be really pissed off and that he would be home soon to talk more about it," she replied. She sat down beside him. She smiled sadly at me. "Are you alright," she asked.

"I'll be okay," I replied, my voice still low. Sonic's concerned expression deepened while Cream gave me a supportive smile. They didn't really say much as they cleaned me up. Sonic tried hard not to stare too long at my battered body, his anger appearing in his eyes. His unreadable thoughts were buzzing rapidly in my ears. I could only imagine what insults he was coming up in his head. I also could only wonder how he was feeling. I mean, I did just show up in his room unannounced with wounds that almost killed me. I wondered if he were upset or concerned or worried or angry or relieved. I wondered if he felt a flicker of the love that I felt for him in his own heart. I wondered if he still loved me…

After my bath, Cream went to work at patching up my wounds. She first cleaned them out with alcohol before bandaging all of them up. Sonic helped her though he stayed away from my legs. He mostly worked on my arms and the cut I hadn't noticed I had on one of my cheeks. The burn from the alcohol was annoying but bearable. I tried not to squirm or flinch away from the burn. I was grateful that they were helping me. I probably would've been dead without their efforts.

Once I was all patched up, Sonic loaned me one of his tee shirts and a pair of sweats to wear. He carried me into his room with Cream trailing behind us. He lay me down on his bed before pulling the covers on top of me. "Cream, do you mind maybe microwaving some leftovers up for her? I bet she's probably hungry," Sonic told his step-sister. Cream nodded.

"Sure," she said without hesitation. She shot me a soft smile before walking out the room and closing the door behind her. The silence that followed after her exit was filled with a certain tension that made me feel uncomfortable. I could feel Sonic's anger and mixed feelings towards me. They radiated off of him like a fiery colored aura. He didn't look at me as we sat there. Instead he kept his green eyes on the floor. I didn't want to be the first to break the silence but I knew that I had to. It was obvious that he wasn't going to say anything; he didn't seem to know what to say.

"Thank you," I murmured. He raised his green eyes to me as I spoke. "For helping me. You didn't have to do that."

"I wasn't going to just let you die, Amy," Sonic replied. "I couldn't let you die on me," he whispered. "What…what exactly did they do to you?"

"I'm not completely sure. They put a blindfold on me so I couldn't see exactly what weapons they used but it felt like whips with like wooden sharp sticks poking out of it. They beat me with those things for hours before they finally stopped. Then they locked me in a cell and left me there. From the way Scourge had talked about it earlier, it seemed as though they were going to come back for me but I got out of there before they could."

"Why did they do this to you?"

"Because I gave up confidential information, I guess."

"Are you sure that's all they did? You seem…scared." I opened my mouth to speak as an image of Scourge holding me down crossed my mind. I pulled Sonic's blankets closer against me as I looked away.

"I don't…I don't want to talk about it."

"Amy," Sonic said as he lay down beside me. He put his hand on my chin and gently guided my face over so that I would look at him. His frown had deepened, his lime eyes at their softest. I got lost in their beauty as I stared at him; I had almost forgotten how their unique color intrigued me. My eyes fell down to his lips and immediately the blissful feelings I got when I used to kiss them tingled in my stomach. I was tempted to lean in and kiss them then since he was so close. I knew that I could do that though. Sonic was being nice to me at the moment; I didn't want to ruin his kind actions by crossing a bridge he tried to burn down. I looked back up into his eyes as his thumb began to rub my jawline. "What did he do to you," Sonic asked.

"He…he…" my voice trailed off as the flashbacks of the degrading attack filled my mind. Tears brimmed my eyes as I was reminded of my tainted purity. The dirty sensation reappeared on my body, making me wish that I could move on my own so that I could wash myself again. I wrapped my bandaged arms around myself as I lowered my eyes. "He raped me," I whispered so low that I didn't think Sonic could hear me. At first I didn't think he did since he was just staring at me, his eyebrows crinkled together in a bit of confusion. But then his green eyes hardened and his mouth twisted in a grimace. His hand fell away from my face before it balled up into a tight fist. I looked away from him and down to his comforter. "I'm sorry."

"That sick bastard," Sonic growled. His tight fist was in my line of view; I watched as his knuckles changed from his tanned complexion to white. I hesitated but I put my hand on top of his fist. My skin tingled above his warm, soft hand but I struggled to ignore it. I could bask in my happiness to be back in his presence later. Right then I just wanted to comfort him. I didn't want him to be angry. I wanted him to see that I was safe now…that I would be okay.

Sonic's hand lessened its grip on itself as I wiggled my fingers into the palm of his hand. His pressure extended to my own hand though instead of anger, it converted into that of comfort. We lay there in silence with our hands intertwined and Sonic's angry thoughts buzzing rapidly in my ears. However, they slowed down after a while. Eventually, they turned into soft humming noises instead of the angry bees they once were. I could tell that my presence was calming him down though I knew that he could be a lot calmer. His thoughts may have slowed down but I could still feel his anger radiating off of him.

"I shouldn't have let you go," he murmured. "I should've stood by your side…I should've protected you…God I'm such an idiot."

"Don't call yourself that," I told him. "You had every right to act as you did. I don't blame you for doing what you did. I hurt you…I hurt you bad…" I looked up at him to see that he was staring at me, his eyes still holding the familiar softness I used to always see in them. I reached my hand up to touch his cheek. While I did hesitate, I did end up laying my hand down on his soft skin. Sonic didn't tense up under my touch. Instead, his body relaxed under my caress. "I'm sorry," I told him.

Sonic opened his mouth to say something but his room door creaked open. We both looked to the door to see Cream walking in holding a food tray. "I made her some soup and some tea. I always put a few pain pills on here if that may do her any good," she said. Her chocolate eyes went to me. "Will pain pills help?"

"A little bit. If anything, they might just knock me out for a couple hours and make my body sleep off the pain," I told her. Cream nodded.

"Some rest will do you some good." She set the tray down on Sonic's nightstand. I struggled to sit up causing Sonic to grab my sides and help me. I murmured a thank you to him in which he nodded. Cream watched our small exchange, a small smile coming upon her lips. She picked up the bowl and handed it to me. I painfully raised my arms but Sonic took the bowl from her. Cream raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'll take care of her. Can you watch out for my dad? Please," he told her.

"Sure," Cream said with a bit of hesitation. She shot me a soft smile before walking out of the room. Sonic took a scoop out of the soup with a spoon before holding the spoon to my lips.

"I can do it myself," I assured him.

"You're too weak. You'll drop it all over yourself," he replied. "Just let me do it."

"Okay." I opened my mouth so that he could stick a hot spoonful of chicken and noodles into my mouth. While the broth burned my mouth, I still welcomed the homey taste of the soup. An image of a younger, sick Amy with her mother feeding her the same soup filled my mind. I blinked away the image as I saw a young Scourge appear in the doorway of my old room, armed with a gift bag that said "Get Well" on it. I didn't want to think about him…or what he may have been doing in that moment. While I hadn't been at Sonic's house long, I bet he had probably checked on me by now to make sure I wasn't dead. When he saw I wasn't in the cell anymore, he probably flipped out. His craziness seemed to have been contained while I was there but after I left, I knew there was no doubt that every ounce of sanity he had escaped him. I was going to be in so much trouble if he managed to track me down again.

Sonic slowly fed me the soup until I finished all of it. The fullness of my stomach made me sleepy but he wouldn't let me go to sleep until I drank down the pain pills and full cup of tea. When I was finished with both of those, I was ready to sleep for more than just a few hours. Sonic helped me lay back down and pulled the covers back down over me. He stared down at me as he gently caressed my face. "Get some sleep. I'll check on you in a couple of hours," he told me. He then got off of the bed and began to walk towards the door.

"Wait," I murmured loud enough for him to hear. He turned around to look back at me with a raised eyebrow. I fidgeted in his bed, feeling a bit uncomfortable by myself laying in it alone. He usually was always there with me when I slept in his bed, leaving only to use the bathroom or to make food. He never left me to sleep alone and I didn't want him to start. I wanted to feel his body heat near me. I wanted to lay my head on his chest and feel his muscular arms around my body. I wanted to curl up in his grasp and feel protected. I wanted to feel like he loved me again. "Will you…will you stay with me?" He opened his mouth, probably to question why, but slowly closed it. He walked back up to the bed and lay down beside me. He kept a reasonable distance between us, making my heart sink a bit. "I never wanted for things to be like this," I told him. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know, Amy," he replied. "I know. We'll talk when you wake up. Right now, just…just get some sleep for me. Okay?"

"Yes." I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep.

For the first couple of hours, I was able to sleep peacefully. I didn't dream much of anything, the medicine clearing my mind. However that peacefulness didn't last for long. Before I knew it, I felt an eerie feeling creep up my back even in my sleep. Scourge's familiar mental touch came over my mind and I felt my body shudder.

_Amy, _his taunting voice cooed in my head. _Amy, such a bad, bad move you've made… _

I tried to ignore his voice. I tried to focus on the peaceful darkness that had surrounded me. Somehow though, the darkness was pulled away from me and the familiar décor of the Bana castle become my new mental surroundings. I was in one of the hallways, I believed, with Scourge standing across from me. He was dressed in a nice button up black dress shirt along with a pair of dark jeans and sneakers. His hair was combed away from his face and his blue topaz eyes were staring at me with an icy anger. I gasped, both from how good he looked and from the fear his gaze had instilled in me. His blue eyes analyzed my body, taking in Sonic's tee shirt and sweats that had followed me into the vision. I took control of my own image and transformed my clothes into that of a beautiful red dress with a corset top and a waterfall skirt. "Hmm, you think your beauty will lessen my anger," Scourge asked as he tilted his head. "Nice try."

"Why are you in my dreams?"

"I'm here to send you a message." He took a step closer to me. "Your actions have gotten you in a bit of a sticky situation here and sadly your consequences have fallen onto your little brother." My eyes widened.

"You better not lay your hands on him!"

"Oh it's too late for that," Scourge said sharply. "If he wasn't of such good use to our army then I would've killed him. My patience ran up with him a long, long time ago. And now my patience for you has gone." He sped up to me, standing so close that I could feel his breath against my forehead. I looked up at him, trying to hold his icy gaze. He raised his hand to caress my cheek. I flinched away causing his frown to deepen. "We could've done great things together, Amy. I could've given you the world; I could've been the love of your life. But you had to choose him. Such a bad decision indeed, don't you think?"

"What's your message," I asked, trying to not let my fear surface onto my face. His calm voice and straight face were scaring me. I knew that on the inside, he wanted to tear me limb from limb. He wanted to torture me until I finally died from all the pain. He wanted to make me feel more than the emotional pain I had caused him. He wanted more than just a small bit of revenge.

"I'll give you two options: you can come back, relieve your brother of his pain, and let me figure out exactly what to do with you; or you can stay with that feeble human and I'll think about not killing your brother or your friends who seem to not know how to obey me anymore." My eyes widened. God, I had forgotten all about Blaze. He couldn't hurt her. She had done nothing wrong. If anything, she was just caught in the crossfire and was forced to do what she had to. She didn't need to be pulled into this. Neither did Adrian. This was between Scourge and I – something of which he knew but needed leverage to get me where he wanted me. "However, I don't have to think about what I'll do to you and your little human when I find the two of you." A wicked smile came across his face. "I can't wait to see how many bones I can break before his heart gives out on him."

"You're not going to lay a hand on him," I said sternly.

"Maybe I won't have to. That, my love, is all up to you. But in the end, I will have you – even if I have to kill everyone you love. One day, you will be mine both in mind and heart." He lowered his head down so that he could whisper in my ear. "Don't get too used to your freedom. When I get my hands on you, you'll be more than just my wife…" I shuddered at the warning. "I'm not giving you much time, Amy. Either come to me peacefully or watch me kill everyone you love. Choose wisely."

As soon as the last words left his mouth, his mental hold on me immediately disappeared. However, I didn't go back to the peaceful darkness of sleep that I had been in previously. Instead, I opened my eyes back to reality and shot up in Sonic's bed. My wounded body roared in protest but I ignored it. I needed to get out of that house. I had to get back to the Bana castle. I had to save Adrian and Blaze. I couldn't let them get killed. This wasn't their fight. This was mine.

"Amy, what's wrong," Sonic asked as he sat up next to me. I looked over at him to see that his eyes were wide with concern. I hadn't noticed that tears had begun to fall from my own and that my breathing was all out of whack. Scourge's threats had scared the living daylights out of me.

"Scourge," I murmured. "He's going to kill my brother if I don't go back to him. I have to go back." I made a move to get off the bed but Sonic grabbed my wrist.

"Like hell you are," he snapped. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

"I can't let my brother die," I yelled at him. "He's all I have, don't you understand? I don't have a clue where my parents are and I'm all alone in this! You have to let me go! I can't let Adrian die because of me! I promised him that I wouldn't let anything like that happen to him again! I promised I would protect him!"

"Then let me help you! I already told my father what's going on and he and the other clan members are getting some other clans around the country to band with us. We have a plan but you have to trust us. As for your parents: they're fine. We let them go to get some other allies. We're all here to fight for you, alright?" I crinkled my eyebrows together in confusion.

"But…but how…why would they all do this?"

"It's a double hit: knock out their world domination plan and help you out in the same attack. We've been planning for a battle like this for a long time and now that it's come…we're ready. While my father and some of the other clan members have their motives, I have mine and I want to help you."

"Why," I asked him. Sonic's jaw tightened as his eyes softened.

"You know why, Amy."

"Say it. Please say it. I need…I need to hear it." Sonic sighed, his beautiful eyes staring into mine. He put his hand on my unwounded cheek before letting it slip farther back to my hair. His hand pressed against the back of my head, pushing me to move closer to him. Without warning, he tilted my head back and pressed his sweet lips onto mine. His lips were like the last bit of rejuvenation I needed to heal my body completely. From the touch of his lips, I felt all the wounds on my body begin to lose their pain and become stronger. My mind buzzed with memories of the two of us together, laughing and kissing and being happy. They blocked out whatever old memories I had of Scourge and hid them from my conscious mind for those few moments, leaving me to focus on the boy I truly loved.

His lips were so soft, so sweet, and so delicious as they moved against mine. He kissed me passionately, his tongue quickly working its way into our kisses. I eagerly kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck and tangling my hands back into his curly hair. His lips moved in a familiar harmony with mine, sending more than an army of butterflies to my stomach. I felt all the love I'd been trying to hold back for him return, overwhelming my emotions to the point where I thought I might explode. It didn't help when Sonic's hands did all the things they used to do; from the gentle tugging of my hair to his arm's tight grasp on my waist. God, I had missed him so much.

"I love you," he murmured as he began to pull away. "I still love you and I've tried so hard to stop but I…I can't. You've got my heart and I just can't steal it back." He caressed my cheek. "I'm sorry for leaving you to deal with all of this by yourself. I really am. But I'm here now and I promise that I won't leave your side again."

"Sonic," I whispered. "I missed you so much." He kissed my lips.

"I've missed you too, kitten." He pulled his face farther away from mine to glance at the door. "Come on; we have to go."

"Where are we going?"

"Massachusetts. There's a safe haven headquarters up there that my dad thinks we should take you to. Scourge knows you'll be somewhere in Orlando and none of us want to risk anything if he tries to pull something on us." He rubbed my arm. "My dad and a couple of the other clan members are going to take you and me up there tonight. Cream and her mom are going to go to New Jersey to recruit some other allies. Once we're in Massachusetts, they'll leave us together in a house for a little while they develop their plan. That's when we'll talk more, okay?" I nodded. He kissed my lips. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you too, Sonic." He kissed my lips for a moment more before slowly getting out the bed. He changed into a fitted long sleeved shirt and jeans before helping me into a similar outfit but in girly fashions. Then he sat me down on the bed and kissed my forehead.

"I hope you don't mind the cold, kitten," he murmured against my skin. "There's a lot of snow where we're going."

**Review if you wish..**


	25. The Battle Ends Here

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 24: The Battle Ends Here**

Snow was a beautiful concept. The unique, little white flakes that continuously fell from the ground kept my attention as we drove into the high mountains of Massachusetts. From the way Sonic had mentioned snow before we had left, I thought that maybe it was a bad thing. I was surprised to see how beautiful the pure white little flakes looked as they covered the ground, the mountains, and even the sky. I had never before experienced snow in this new life and while the sight did bring some memories of snow days in elementary from my old life, it didn't fail to intrigue me. From the first sight of the snow, a flash of Scourge, Blaze and I having a huge snowball fight rang into my head. The three of us had to be about seven in the image but the sight still brought a bit of a clench to my stomach. During the long ride, I tried not to dwell on the situation that I had gotten myself and the people I loved in. I tried not to think about the pain Adrian was going through or what was going on with Blaze – if Scourge had gotten his hands on her yet. I tried not to think about my own decision to make. Scourge had said that he would possibly spare my brother and Lyla out of their miseries if I came back to him and if not…well then I could kiss everyone I loved goodbye.

While I had debated possibly teleporting back to the Bana castle without Sonic's knowledge, I knew that would only make things worse. Sonic's vampire hunter clan had already begun to plan for their own attack on the castle. If I were to go back not too long before they attacked, I could very well end up in the same predicament just with Sonic trying to kill me instead of Scourge. I still remembered the crazed, traumatic, almost scared look in his eyes when he first tried to kill me after I'd told him what I was. Though I had tried so hard to rid the image out of my head, I couldn't help but to keep it in mind. I had hurt him so badly by doing such a simple thing as lying. My small action jeopardized my life and my shot at happiness with him. While he did kiss me and tell me he loved me before we'd left, I still couldn't help but to feel his caution towards me. It may not have been strong but it was still there. He was afraid of me breaking his heart again – something of which I really did not want to do. But at the same time, I couldn't let him die either.

I fell out of my thoughts as my eyes caught sight of what looked like a small suburban area that was filled with houses and snow. All of the houses seemed to be made out of wood, keeping up with the snow environment. The houses seemed to have formed a circle around a larger wooden house that overlooked all of the other ones. I guessed that it was the headquarters that Sonic had been telling me about earlier. The hunters had a good disguise up there; the vampires would never suspect a hunter community in a place that looked so homey.

The van that Sonic and I were riding in stopped in front of the larger wooden house. The men in the seats in front of us began to open the doors and file out of the van. Sonic followed suit after them before helping me out of the van. The boots that Cream had loaned me fell into the thick snow as I got out the vehicle. I wrapped my arms around myself the best I could with Sonic's thick jacket around me. The chilly air was foreign to me and I couldn't exactly say whether I liked it or not. I did know that I liked the warm weather better, though.

Sonic put his arm over my shoulders as we began to walk into the lodge house. As soon as my foot stepped over the doorway, I felt the comforting feel of warmth. While it wasn't hot in the house, it was better than being out in the cold weather. Sonic helped me get his jacket off before leading me into a room that seemed to be a huge kitchen. There were marble counters, chestnut cabinets, a stove, an oven, a large refrigerator, and a large chestnut table where the hunters were flocking around. The scent of all their blood overwhelmed my nose but I ignored the slight sharpening of my fangs.

All of the hunters turned their eyes to Sonic and I as we stepped in the doorway. Among those eyes, I could see Sally's sapphire orbs. She was sitting near the edge of the table, her long legs covered in fitted jeans and high heel boots. She was wearing a thin, black fitted sweater with her bouncy curls falling over her shoulders. Her gaze lingered over Javier before they went to me. Then her red lips turned into a grimace. Her gaze wasn't the only unpleasant one however. A good three fourths of the hunters, including the ones we'd driven up with, gave me a similar scowl. The expression immediately caused me to avert my gaze and look down to the floor.

"Oh be nice," I heard an elderly female voice say. "If it weren't for her, you all wouldn't have the opportunity that you have." I cautiously glanced up to see that it was a small, elderly woman who was sitting at the head of the table. Her skin was that of a deep caramel while her eyes were a glowing topaz and her hair was snow white. There weren't much wrinkles on her skin but I could tell she was of very old age. She sent me a warm smile. "Hello dear."

"Hi," I replied as I returned her soft smile.

"Aren't you just the prettiest thing I've ever lay my old eyes on." I blushed deeply as I looked back down. "Come; sit down. I think we all should hear you out before any more of this misjudging goes on." Sonic put his hand on my back and lightly pushed me towards the table. I glanced at him but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes seemed to be on Vanessa who was sending him daggers. As I let my feet move to his will, I took a peek inside the girl's mind.

The first thing I saw was that of she and Sonic kissing. They didn't seem to be of the age they were then but instead younger – maybe around eleven or twelve years of age. She had always liked him but, with everything he had going on, could never grasp his full attention. However, now that he had joined a part of her clan, she got to spend more time with him and managed to get him where she wanted him. I could see through the quick images that they had been together for a long while but he'd never expressed any type of genuine love for her nor did she for him. He kept her at arm's distance which hurt her at first but she got accustomed to it and did the same to him. Yet, she did love him…somewhere. She hated me for taking him away from her – even more so now that I was back in the picture. From one of the last images I saw, they seemed to have been rekindling their relationship. But of course, little old me had to come back and rip him away – something which she hated me for. She didn't understand why he cared about me so much. I was a vampire: something he was trained to kill and hate. So why was he trying to protect me? She thought he was the definition of an idiot.

Sonic pulled out an empty chair for me at the table in which I sat down. As I looked around at the hunters now, I got a better look at all of their faces. While a majority of them were men, from their late teens to early fifties, some of them were women – beautiful women at that. All of them were tall with long hair, and sharp supermodel faces. I mentally squirmed as I thought of how easily it probably would be for them to take me down if I did something wrong. While Javier hesitated both times when he attacked me, I knew they wouldn't. I'd be dead if I got on the wrong side of any of the people in the room – including the elderly women. She may be old but I had no doubt that she had been in the hunter business for a long time coming. There was a heavy layer of respect for her coming from the other hunters from the from, leading me to that conclusion. She had to have some type of high rank or seniority. I doubt they'd let me sit with them if she didn't.

"What's your name," the elderly woman asked me. "My name is Marisol."

"Amy," I told her. She smiled, showing a mouth full of white teeth.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." Marisol nodded.

"So, how did you get yourself in this situation here?"

"Um, it's a long story," I said as I looked down. I intertwined my fingers together in my lap. "I don't…I don't even know where to start."

"Start wherever you feel is right." I looked up at her warm, welcoming face before glancing around at the more hostile faces around me. The only people who weren't giving me scowls were Sonic's father, Sonic, and a few of the older hunters. I squirmed slightly under the known hatred I felt under their gazes. I didn't exactly feel too comfortable sharing my story in front of so many people who I knew hated my guts. I worried that they may not understand or they may try not to. While my story may be as simple as a girl losing her memory and having to start all over, it was so much more in my eyes. It wasn't just a story; it was my life. I'd struggled with finding myself in a new world with my old world still swimming around me. I struggled with a lingering love while sparking up a new one. I put my life back together but not in the way it was before. I had transformed into a new person in a way – and that was a bit personal for me to share in front of people who wanted to rip my head off.

However, slowly I began to talk about the events that had happened in my life. I opened up about the small things I knew about my old life and how somehow those events turned into those of the new one I lived. I explained who I was and what I had become…who I had become. I told them about Scourge and his new mentality and how dangerous I hadn't known he really was until recently. I told them about the person he used to be and how he'd somehow transformed into the person he was then. I told them about Adrian and Blaze and who they were and why it was so important for me to protect them. I told them about how much they meant to me – about how I couldn't lose them. Eventually, I got on to the topic of Sonic and my feelings for him and how much I loved him and how much of a role he'd played in my life. I had to have spoken for about more than an hour but all the hunters were hooked onto my words, their hostile expressions falling. Even Sally, who hated me, began to look at me with a different point of view. They all no longer saw me as something that was a living weapon but instead a girl who was forced to find her way amongst this new way of life.

By the time I was finished explaining everything, my mouth was the driest it had ever been. My still weak body longed for blood, my throat burning as it begged for some rejuvenation. I ignored my sensations though, keeping calm eyes on Marisol who was staring at me with a gaze of wonder. "Wow," she said simply. "You've been through a great deal in such a short amount of time, haven't you?"

"Yes," I murmured, my voice a bit raspy from my sore throat. She nodded as her eyes now looked over my body.

"I've heard that you were wounded. Are you still in pain?" I nodded. "Sonic, you can take her on back to one of the safe houses. We'll meet back up with her in the morning to discuss her role in our plans."

"Just let me know what time and I'll have her ready," he replied. His dad murmured his name under his breath causing him to look towards him. Jules threw him a key in which he caught easily. "Thanks," he told his father. He then looked down to me and held out his hand. I took it and he helped me up out of my seat. He wrapped his arm around my waist, keeping me close to him.

"It was nice to meet you, Amy," Marisol told me with a smile.

"Same to you," I replied, offering her a small smile in return. Sonic led me back to the front door and helped me get his coat back on. We then headed back out into the cold weather. Night was beginning to fall; the sun was starting to fall behind the mountains. The sky became a light lavender, lighter with the snow that still fell from it. The flakes got stuck in both Sonic and I's hair but neither of us seemed to mind. Sonic didn't seem to be paying much attention to the weather at all, actually. His light green eyes were in a whole other world as we walked across the street to one of the smaller lodge houses. I wondered what he was thinking about. I wished that I could get a peek into his mind. I wanted to know the thoughts that he didn't care to share.

The inside of the house we would be staying in seemed pretty comfy. There was a beige rug laid out in the living room. There was a fireplace, a large couch, a big recliner chair, a lamp, a small coffee table, and a television in there. The kitchen was a moderate size and held a similar look to that of the kitchen we were just in. The dining room was a bit small with red walls, a chestnut table, and a small china cabinet. Sonic followed me upstairs as I continued to look around. The upper floor had a few rugs laid out in the hallway along with four rooms – one of which was a large bathroom. Sonic grabbed my hand before leading me to the room all the way at the end of the hallway. In it was a queen sized bed, a dresser, a small television, two windows on opposite sides of the room, a plush white carpet, and a small closet. "This will be our room," he told me. I looked up at him and shot him a soft smile. The burning sensation in my throat had become too strong for me to speak. If I did then I believed that I would pass out. Sonic must've noticed my pained expression since his eyebrows crinkled together in concern. "You need blood," he stated. He lifted his wrist as he began to pull the sleeve up away from his skin. My eyes caught sight of the teeth marks I'd left in his skin that had become two small cuts. The sight caused my stomach to roll in disgust.

He tried to hold up his wrist to my lips but I backed away. He frowned down at me as I did so. "Amy, you need to drink some blood. You're weak enough; you're going to need to get your strength back up."

"You need all your strength," I managed to murmur.

"Amy," Sonic whispered as he walked towards me. I took some steps back, knowing that he was going to try to convince me that it was alright to drink his blood. He was going to tell me that he was going to be fine; he just wanted me to get better. My back hit the wall next to the doorway. Sonic took advantage of my inability to go anywhere and made a semi cage with one of his arms, blocking the side that was open to the door. He gently pressed his wrist against my lips, his distinct scent filling my nose. I sighed against his skin, my fangs sharpening. My humane thought process faded away as my senses took over and caused me to catch his wrist in my mouth. I noticed him grimace as I pierced his skin once again with my teeth and began to drink his sweet blood. "There's a good girl," he murmured as he stroked my hair. I continued to drink his blood for a couple minutes, my energy boosting back up. Once it was fully restored, I released his wrist.

"Thank you," I murmured before licking his leftover blood off my lips.

"Are you hungry? I can go make us some food and some hot chocolate. You wanna change up here and come downstairs when you're ready?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering on my skin before pulling away from me and heading on downstairs. I wandered over to one of the dressers to see that it was fully stocked with clothes that were my size. I dismissed that drawer and searched for one that held Sonic's clothes. Once I found what I was looking for, I dug around to pull out a white sweater of his. It was oversized on me and fell down to my mid-thigh. After trying it on, I took off my heavy layer clothing – and my bandages - and padded barefoot into the shower. I didn't take too long in there; I just washed up and quickly got out. I dried my hair with a towel before throwing on Sonic's sweater and a pair of my boy shorts. I ran a brush through my hair before padding back downstairs.

The fireplace was going in the living room as was the television turned on. In the kitchen, I saw Sonic putting together bowls of what looked like some type of soup or something. I hid my hands in his sleeves and balled them up with the fabric as I walked into the kitchen. Sonic immediately looked at me, his amber eyes going over my outfit. His eyes first lit up with lust but simmered down with admiration. He had bandaged up his wrist, the bright color a huge contrast against his skin.

"You look comfortable," he said with a soft smile. I blushed deeply as a smile came across my own face.

"Yes; very comfortable." He chuckled at me.

"I made you some of my mom's old soup. Don't ask what's in it; just eat it and let it do its work." I walked over to the table where he had set two cups of soda down. I sat down in one of the chairs and crossed my legs. Sonic joined me, setting the bowl filled with various noodles and vegetables in it. I thanked him before taking a sip of the soup. It tasted sweet on my tongue but fiery as it went down my throat. I raised my eyebrow as I looked up at Sonic to see that he was smiling at me. "Don't ask me. I've been questioning it for the past seventeen years and still haven't found an answer as to why." I shrugged before going back to the soup. I basically demolished the entire bowl before Sonic led me back out to the living room with our cups of hot chocolate. First we lay down on the couch, Sonic laying behind me with his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Then I flicked through the channels until I saw the opening of one of my favorite romance movies. We lay there for the next two and a half hours watching the movie and drinking our hot chocolate.

As we lay there, I couldn't help but to be reminded of the similar nights we'd had before Scourge showed up. I remembered we used to lay around each other's houses, eating junk food and watching movies. I remembered we'd always cuddle close to each other and intimately make-out whenever we grew bored of the movie in front of us. I remembered I'd used to always fall asleep in his arms and wake up to his beautiful face the next morning. That time felt like forever ago in my mind though it had just been a few months prior. It was so funny…the way things could change in such a short amount of time. One day, I had just been a normal girl; the next: I was a vampire. One day, I was in the loving arms of the one who held my heart; the next: I was in the arms of the one I used to love…someone who still held a part of my heart. I turned over in Sonic's grasp to look up at him. Before I could take in his beautiful face, his lime eyes looked down at me. "You alright," he asked me.

"Yes," I replied. "You promised we'd talk." Sonic sighed as he propped himself on his elbow. "You keep dismissing my attempts to apologize."

"I know," he said simply.

"When are you going to let me completely apologize for what I did?" He didn't answer. Instead, he turned his beautiful eyes away from me. His mouth tightened into a firm line. I cautiously put my hand on his cheek, my thumb stroking his jaw. "I love you, Sonic, and I never meant to hurt you. I was just…I was being selfish by not telling you what I was. After you killed Kyle and you told me that you were a hunter, I knew how you'd react when I told you and I knew that you would hate me and I knew that I would be hurting you but I… I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to lose what we had…what we have. I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for hurting you. I know that I can't take what I did back now and I know you don't want to hear this but I wouldn't even if I couldn't. The time we spent together meant so much to me… I don't think I could sacrifice it even to save my own life… You don't have to forgive me…I understand if you can't…"

"I do forgive you," Sonic whispered. He turned his eyes back to me. "I forgave you the moment he took you away. I finally realized that you didn't ask to be a vampire…you didn't ask to be the way you are now. I know I should've realized that months ago but I just…all I could think about was what damage your kind was capable of. I never thought that you were any different." He caressed my cheek. "But then I started seeing you with him and I saw that scared look you had in your eyes. Then I saw your fear when I came after you the second time and I noticed how you wouldn't fight back. You wouldn't hit me or try to bite me or anything I was used to battling against. You were just trying to get away… And you helped me when the psycho let me go and when I looked into your eyes, I saw your fear for my safety and your love for me. And I realized that you weren't a threat to humanity like the others. You were just a caring, innocent girl who got stuck in a situation she didn't want to be in. I'm sorry I couldn't realize that earlier."

"So, what are we going to do?" Sonic crinkled his eyebrows together in confusion.

"About what?"

"About us. I mean, are we…are we getting back together or…?" Sonic sighed, caressing my face gently with his hand.

"I want to; believe me I want to but… I'm afraid that I'll lose you between now and what's going to happen in the next week and I don't…I don't know if I could bear the pain of losing you again."

"What if all we have is right now? Don't you want to make it special while we still can? I don't want to lose you either, Javi but what if this is our last couple of nights together? I don't want to be restrained when I could be loving you the way I used to. I don't want you to remember me as the girl you regret not having more time with. I want you to remember me as the girl who loved you until the end." Sonic frowned.

"Why does it feel like you're telling me you're going to die?"

"Because Scourge wants me dead. He's not going to admit it but I know he does. I don't want to promise you forever if I can't give that to you." His eyes filled with the slightest bit of moisture causing my stomach to clench. "I love you, Sonic." I leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"I love you too, Amy," he whispered. He leaned down to press his sweet lips against mine. Our familiar harmony of kisses soon followed after the contact, both of our arms wrapping tightly around each other. I tangled my hands in his hair while one of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me close against his muscular body. His other hand slowly traveled up and down my bare leg, sending a trail of tingles as it went. I wrapped my leg around his, giving him more access to my skin. He deepened the kiss as I did so, slipping his warm tongue into my mouth. A soft moan left my lips, causing him to pull me even closer. I slowly let one of my hands fall out of his hair, down his chest, and up into his shirt. His firm washboard abs felt familiar under my hands as I rubbed and traced them. This earned me a low moan from Sonic before he untangled his leg from mine. Before I could pull away to ask if he was alright, he flipped us into an upright position with me straddling his lap. He wrapped my legs around his waist before he got up, our lips still moving together. He carried me upstairs to our bedroom and lay me down on the bed.

That night he moved achingly slow with removing my little clothing and spreading his kisses all around my body. In fact, he even moved slow with making love to me. He seemed to be paying attention to the shape of my body, the feel, and the small noises and movements I made. He was molding the image of me into his memory. We made love the entire night before he finally passed out from his weariness. I watched him as he slept, tracing his defined jawline and his full lips. I traced the curve of his neck, the muscles of his biceps, and I wrapped my fingers around his silky curls. He stayed asleep through all of it, his body relaxing with each stroke of my touch. As I stared at him, I tried to mold his own image into my memory. While I didn't want to think about anything happening to either of us, I knew that I couldn't just dismiss the thought. We were going against a huge army in their own home. I doubted that the hunters stood much of a chance but I believed in them. I had no choice but to. They were both me and my brother's only hope at survival.

The next morning, Sonic and I took a shower together before changing into comfortable attires of long sleeved shirts and jeans. He held me close to him as we walked to the big lodge house together. As soon as we stepped in, the scent of other vampires filled my nose – including those of my parents. My heart skipped a beat as I let my feet wander into the huge living room where my mother and father were sitting amongst some unfamiliar but friendly vampire faces. My mother spotted me first and smiled warmly at me. I returned the smile and ran into her opening arms. She hugged me tightly, her welcoming embrace warming my worried heart. "Oh sweetie," she murmured in my hair. "Thank goodness you're alright. Your father and I were so worried."

"I'm sorry," I whispered into her shoulder.

"Don't be. We're together now and once we get your brother back, we can make up a better plan of what we're going to do next." She pulled out of the hug so that my father could give me a tight embrace. I curled into his strong arms as a flash of me and my biological father flashed behind me eyes. He had picked me up from school after I'd had stuff poured all over me by some girls in middle school and he was hugging me, telling me that everything was going to be okay. The sight brought tears to my eyes but I blinked them away. That moment was not the right time to be crying over the past. I had to focus on the future ahead.

"So now that most of us are here, we can start discussing what we're going to do," one of the head hunters said as we all crowded around in the living room. I was in Sonic's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. The man who was talking was an attractive man in his early forties with short cut dark hair and dark eyes. He was looking around, making contact with every face his eyes passed. His eyes stopped as they landed on me. "Amy, you've been in their fortress before. Any ideas of where a good place to strike might be?"

"Um, not really. A good portion of the castle is protected by guards. But there are a couple of gardens where the guards don't really hang out. You all could start from there," I said with a soft shrug.

"But how are we going to get in without the guards noticing us? Or at least not a huge amount of them," one of the other hunters asked.

"We're going to need a distraction…or a couple…" Sonic piped in.

"Well, I know that a good amount of the guards follow Scourge's command since he is one of the six dukes and he's there most often. Maybe I could cause a bit of a diversion by making a scene and at least distracting his attention. The guards might only act on his command. If he's busy with me then maybe…" I began to say.

"No," Sonic quickly countered. "He'll kill you."

"Not if he thinks I'm going back to him. If I can distract him with bargaining myself for even just a couple of minutes, it would help most of you guys get into the castle."

"And you're sure that will work," the head hunter asked me.

"Scourge wants me; he doesn't know about you guys. If he thinks I'm giving him what he wants then he'll let his guard down and…and that might be enough for you guys to get in."

"Amy, I don't know about this," my mother murmured with a small frown.

"I'll be fine," I told her. "Just trust me." My mother held her frown but nodded along with my request. I looked to the main hunter who was raising his eyebrows in thought. He had put his hand on his chin, rubbing it tentatively.

"The girl may be right," he admitted. "Alright, we'll go with her diversion plan. Now time to map out the possible entries we get into…"

The hunters and the vampire allies my parents managed to get discussed methods for the entire rest of the day. I listened attentively, trying to make sure I knew what my part was in the plan. Sure I had to distract Scourge but I also had to keep an eye out for the hunters and make sure they were safe. How I was going to do that, I wasn't quite sure yet. However, I knew that I would be able to wing it someway somehow. When we all were dismissed, the hunter concluded that we would set off to fight the next day. I had made them aware of my brother's situation and they promised that they would move as quickly as possible.

As we were heading out, Sally lightly grabbed my wrist and surprisingly pulled me off to the side. I raised my eyebrows at her as she dragged me into the hallway. Sonic noticed my sudden absence and looked to where we were standing. I gave him a soft nod that I was alright before he walked out the door. "He loves you," Sally stated, her sapphire eyes following him out the door. "I never thought he was capable of loving until I saw the way he looked at you…even if you are one of those bloodsucking demons."

"Where are you going with this," I asked her. She sighed.

"I just wanted to tell you not to do anything reckless tomorrow. I know that you…you want to help your brother and you want to get your crazy ex off your back but just don't…don't die on him. He needs you and I don't know what would happen if he lost you again. When you first exposed yourself, he was a mess…a complete and utter mess. He wanted to hate you – and for a second he did but he couldn't hold that front up for long. He went back to the way he was after his mom died when he lost you… I know, we haven't been the best of friends but if you can do me a favor and survive tomorrow then that would be good."

"Can you do me a favor?" She raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows. "If I don't make it…for whatever reason…promise me you'll take care of him." Her sapphire eyes softened as she nodded.

"I will. Now we just have to hope that he doesn't die on the both of us."

"Yea. Let's hope not."

Sonic and I didn't get much sleep again that night. Just as the night before, he made love to me slowly again but this time with the addition of murmuring how much he loved me in my ear whenever he caught his breath. Neither of us wanted to think about the events that would go down the next day or the results of them for that matter. I didn't want to harbor the thought of something happening to him nor did he want the same thought for me. So, we tried to ignore it the best we could.

However, the next morning came to fast for either of our liking and we were forced to come to terms with the thoughts we had tried so hard to get rid of. While he got ready in the smaller lodge house, I had to go to the larger one where the girl hunters and vampires had worked hard the night before to make an appropriate dress for me. The hunters thought that I would have to look perfect in order for Scourge to be fully distracted. They thought my beauty would take his mind to a whole other world. Too bad that they didn't know that I had tried that before and it didn't really work well. However, I let them dress me into a beautiful red gown similar to that of my dream. It had a corset-like, strapless lacy torso with a flowing skirt flaring out around my waist. They curled my hair and left it falling down my back before applying a bit of my makeup on me. Finally, they topped off the look with a pair of high heel lacy stilettos.

Once they were done with me, I retreated back to Sonic in the lodge house to say goodbye. When I got there, he was in our room dressed in his all black attire. There were multiple guns on the bed as well as a few smaller weapons. The sight sent a shiver down my spine but I managed to ignore it. I couldn't dwell on what was to come. I just had to accept it – whatever was about to happen.

Sonic turned his eyes to me as I appeared in the doorway. His eyes immediately filled with admiration as I walked into the room. "Damn," he said causing me to smile. I walked into his welcoming arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. I stared up into his beautiful green eyes as he stared back down at me, a look of love and admiration on his face. "You look beautiful," he told me. "Make sure that psycho keeps his hands to himself or he will have to deal with me." I smiled wider as tears began to brim my eyes.

"I love you, Sonic," I told him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Amy." He leaned down to kiss my lips softly, passionately. His kisses sent butterflies to my stomach and made my head dizzy – even in that moment. His lips were so sweet…so soft…and oh so addicting. More tears brimmed my eyes at the thought of if I would never be able to kiss them again after that morning. God, I had to make it out for him. He had to make it out for me. We had to survive for each other. We needed each other. Our love was too strong for us to be apart permanently. We had to be together…we had to make it out of this day alive.

When he finally pulled away, he stroked my face. I shot him a smile before slowly backing out of his grasp. I kept my eyes locked with his as I summoned the winds I needed to teleport. After I took in his beautiful face one last time, I closed my eyes and focused on going to where I needed to be. I focused on the Bana Castle…on Scourge…on his location. Slowly, the winds picked up around me and I could feel them transporting me back to Europe. The hunters would be transporting with the other vampires that my parents had rallied, all of them coming together. I was the one who had to go alone since I was the main diversion…

The winds managed to take me into what was Scourge's "office". I had only been in it a few times but I could pinpoint it in my mind from the large bookcase and Scourge's large desk. Usually when he would bring me in there, he would let me sit down in his big comfortable chair to read while he got some paperwork done. I loved being in there because of the abundance of books he had and for the fact that he let me read any book I wanted from his collection. Sometimes I would look up from whatever I was reading see him staring at me, a soft smile of adoration on his face. I'd usually blush and look down and try to find my place in the story.

It was different, though, being in there when the winds vanished. Instead of the warm, welcoming feeling I got from being surrounded by all the books, an eerie, cold feeling came from the room. The windows were shut, preventing the sun from shedding its beautiful light across the room. It was dark, adding on to the strange feeling I felt. "Look what we have here," I heard Scourge's voice say. I quickly turned around to face his desk to see that he was sitting there, his sneakered feet propped up on the top with a glass of red wine in his hand. His hair was brushed back neatly and he was dressed in a short sleeved blue button up shirt. His blue eyes glowed in the darkness though they weren't soft as they looked over me. Instead they were a bit hard, his impatience showing clear. "Finally made up your mind, I see."

"Yes. I came back. Now you can let my brother go – just like you said you would."

"Hmm," he took a sip of his wine. "Be patient, my love." He took his feet down off the desk as he grabbed a small communicating device off his desk. He held it up to his lips. "Bring Adrian Rose up to my office," he commanded into it. I heard another male voice murmur a "roger that" before Scourge held up his hands. "He'll be joining us shortly."

"Thank you," I told him. He grunted out a reply before taking another sip of his wine. He then sat up straight and extended his hand out to me.

"Come sit with me," he commanded. "It has been quite lonely since you decided to disappear on me." I hesitated but slowly walked up to one of the two chairs that sat in front of his desk. Scourge smiled in satisfaction, some of the hardness in his eyes fading away. He stood up to walk to his china cabinet that held a variety of different alcoholic beverages and their designated glass cups. He pulled out another wine glass before walking back to his desk. I hadn't noticed the tall bottle of wine sitting in the far corner on his desk. He picked up the bottle and poured some of it into the new glass. He then handed the glass to me. I stared at it hesitantly before taking it out of his hand. He tilted his head at me, his blue eyes expectant of me to take a sip. I forced a soft smile as I lifted the glass to my lips. The wine was sweet as it rolled down my tongue, the strong alcohol behind it sending a bit of a shock down my throat.

Scourge seemed satisfied with my sip as he sat back down in his big chair. He swirled his wine in his cup as he stared at me, his mouth twisting into a small frown. I tried to keep Sonic and the hunters out of my mind so that Scourge couldn't read the information I had on them. I knew that if he figured that out then he'd probably kill me and then kill every hunter and vampire that tried to help with the plan. I had to keep him happy and distracted for as long as I could. "I'm sorry for fleeing," I told him. He raised his eyebrows at me. "I was just scared and I was in so much pain and I just…my first instinct was to find a way out. I didn't mean to hurt you by going back to Sonic but he was the only person I knew who might help me."

"You didn't go back to him because you love him?" Scourge asked.

"No. I went back because he was a potential use to me. While I do love him, he doesn't feel the same way anymore."

"That's not what I heard when you woke up," Scourge said bitterly. My stomach clenched as I realized that he had still been watching me. Sonic had confessed that he loved me and he had kissed me and then we'd left to Massachusetts and then… God, was Scourge watching us that whole time? The thought made my stomach clench even more in both nausea and nervousness. If he knew about the plan then everything was about to go downhill. "You don't honestly think I'm stupid, do you? You really think I'd leave you alone with that imbecile of a hunter without any flies on the wall?" He let out a dark chuckle. "Humor me."

"Scourge, please don't-"

"Don't what? Don't kill everyone who tries to infiltrate my territory? Don't rip your little boyfriend's head off? There's a lot of things you probably don't want me to do. You've got to be a little more specific."

"Don't take your anger out on everyone else. You're mad at me; take your anger out on me. I'm here now so do what you want. Torture me, yell at me, break my mentality down; do whatever the hell you want! But leave the people I love out of it." Scourge stood up out of his seat and began to walk around his desk.

"Amy, Amy, if only it was that easy," he said, his tone smooth and calm. He walked up behind me, his warm hands skimming my bare shoulders. He pushed back some of my hair away from my ear so that he could put his lips against it. His hot breath sent a shiver down my spine. "I wish I could just give you what you deserve but that would result in you being afraid of me…something I don't want. You may never forgive me after today but I'd rather have you hate me than have you be afraid. At least when you hate me, you'll be more fun to break down…"

"You're sick," I murmured.

"Possibly; lots of people say the same. However, I think I just have an original mentality. You'll learn to see that and one day you'll learn to love it." His hands squeezed my shoulders. "I don't care if it takes you a millions years, you _will _love me – unconditionally and full heartedly." I turned my head to meet his crazed blue eyes. My implicit mind somehow still yearned for him but I managed to ignore it now. The dude was absolutely psycho; I couldn't let the memories of the him my implicit mind used to love impair my judgement. He wasn't who he used to be and I couldn't rely on those old feelings anymore. The person I'd become would never love him and he knew that; but he was determined to crush my mind until I did.

My acute hears suddenly heard the door open, causing me to look past Scourge to the now open door. Scourge stood up straight though he kept his hands on my shoulders. A smile slowly came upon his face as I took in my brother who was now standing in the doorway. He was standing up straight with no cuts or bruises visible on him. Though he seemed physically fine, the blank stare in his eyes scared me. His emeralds were completely void of emotion and his lips were pressed into a steady line.

I broke out of Scourge's grasp to run up to my brother. I grabbed him into a tight hug that he didn't return. "I'm so sorry, Adrian. I'm so, so sorry," I told him. I looked up at him to see that he wasn't looking at me. His gaze was fixed on the wall on the other side of the room. "Adrian? Adrian?" I grabbed his arms and lightly shook him. "Adrian? Adrian, look at me! Look at me!" I began to shake him a little harder as tears of panic began to brim my eyes. "Adrian! Adrian, look at me! Please look at me!"

"He can't hear you," Scourge said from behind me. I turned around to look where he was standing near his desk. There was an amused smile on his face, his blue eyes bright with laughter.

"What did you do to him?"

"First I personally finished the little bit of training that he managed to escape from but then he still wanted to be a little pain in the ass; so I put him in this little trance where he only follows my command."

"Well you can let him out the trance now. You promised you'd let him go. I want him out of this trance and send him back home with Blaze and Olivia so that he can be safe."

"Oh your little friends are dead," Scourge said quickly. My eyes widened as my heart began to break. My thoughts went to Blaze and how much of a great friend she had been to me. Sure, she may have done some spying but I would've done the same thing to protect my younger sibling. Other than that, she was always by my side. She was the best friend I could ask for and now…now she was gone. And I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to her. Both my conscious and implicit mind brought tears to my eyes as I realized I'd never be teased by her again or hear her laugh or let her doll me up. I'd lost my best friend…and it felt like a rock being slammed right into my chest.

Scourge slowly walked up to me and put his hand on my back. I quickly moved and swiped his hand away. He frowned at me. "Amy, don't make things difficult. I promised you your brother's life; I considered saving theirs but they weren't obedient enough to stay alive. Considering that said, you should be happy your brother is still alive. I should've killed him a long, long time ago."

"What the hell is wrong with you," I yelled at him. "You claim that you love me so much and you only wanted us to be together forever! So why are you killing everyone I care about? Do you want me all to yourself? Is that what you want? Because I can give that to you! I can devote all my time to you just as long as you stop killing the people I love!" Scourge's frown deepened as he tilted his head.

"They're all obstacles standing in my way – that's why I'm killing them. All I want is you and if everyone could stop interfering with that then they can all live." He walked closer to me, cautiously holding out his hands.

"Don't," I warned. "Don't touch me." Scourge stopped in his tracks and help up his hands. "Let my brother go. Let him go now."

"If that's what you want," he murmured. He snapped his fingers once causing Adrian to blink a few times. He shook his head as his body began to move again. I walked past Scourge to my brother to hug him. This time he returned the hug, his arms holding me tightly.

"I'm sorry," I murmured into his chest. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's okay, Amy. You're here now, that's what matters. We can go home now right? Richard and Amber are fine, right? We can all go home now, right?" I slowly pulled out of his embrace and looked up into his fearful emerald eyes. For a second, my mind went to the hunters. I wondered if they were carrying out their mission. Scourge seemed to have known about it which probably meant bad things but it was so quiet up here. I wondered if they even made it into the building at all. If they did – if our parents did, then they could get Adrian out of here. They could take him home and keep him safe.

"Adrian, listen to me: you're going to go home and you're going to be safe there." He crinkled his eyebrows together.

"What about you? Aren't you coming with me?"

"No; I'm going to stay here…with Scourge."

"Like hell you are," Adrian snapped. "I'm not leaving you here alone with this psychopath!"

"You're welcome to stay," Scourge piped in. "With your sister and I's arrangement, you'll be under full protection and have your own room in the castle and such. You'll be like a normal resident."

"Is he serious," Adrian asked me. "What the hell are you thinking, Amy? You can't stay here with him! He's fucking crazy – something you know."

"I'm thinking about you and your safety, Adrian," I said firmly. "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you and he let you off easy this time. I can't risk your life again…not when there's something I can do about it." Adrian opened his mouth to speak but the sound of gunshots rang in all of our ears. We all looked behind Adrian to the open doorway where we saw the guards dropping dead. I took a whiff to smell the scent of peaches and sandalwood. Oh no…

"Aw little hunter's here to save the day," Scourge mused as I pulled Adrian back away from the door. I pushed him in the corner of the room just as Sonic appeared in the doorway with a huge rifle in hand. He seemed to have a couple of fatal cuts and bloody spots but he didn't seem to be in pain. His light green eyes scanned around the room before they fell on Scourge. A deadly glare fell onto his face as he looked over my old best friend. Scourge smiled wickedly at him. "Looking for your girlfriend?" He asked him. He nodded in the direction where I was pushing Adrian tighter into the hidden space. "You're going to have to go through me if you want her."

"With pleasure," Sonic growled as he aimed the gun at Scourge. He shot the gun but Scourge dodged the bullet easily using his speed. Sonic's eyes followed him easily as he continued to shoot the gun wherever he went. He kicked the door closed before walking in closer to try to get a better aim. Somehow, though, Scourge had ran up against the wall to get behind Sonic. He kicked my boyfriend down onto the ground before straddling his back. He grabbed the gun in Sonic's hands and pulled it up against his neck. Sonic groaned as he struggled to get Scourge off of him. My old best friend's amused grin had fallen, leaving his mouth in a firm line. His once blue eyes were now a ruby red with blood lust filled in them. The sight scared me halfway to death as did the thought of what he was going to do to Sonic. He was seriously going to try to kill him.

"Stay here," Adrian told me before speeding out of my grasp. He sped up to Scourge and tackled him off of Sonic. The pair began to roll on the floor, throwing punches at each other. While Adrian was strong, Scourge was much stronger and managed to punch Adrian so hard that he flew off of him and right into Scourge's desk. Scourge glared at him for a moment before turning to Sonic who was preparing to smack him right with his gun. Scourge was caught off guard by the smack but recuperated in time to knock Sonic's legs from under him before he could shoot the gun. He quickly got on top of my boyfriend and pinned the gun down against his neck, choking him once more. However, the choking wasn't enough for Scourge. Without a thought, he punched Sonic's leg with so much force that I could hear the crack as he broke the bone. My eyes widened as Sonic screamed out in pain. Scourge's words from my dream echoed in my mind. _I can't wait to see how many bones I can break before his heart gives out on him. _

"Stop," I yelled as I stood up. Scourge glanced up at me. "Dammit, Scourge, I said stop!"

"Why should I?" He growled. "This pathetic mortal is the reason you can't love me. He's the reason we can't be together. He's the parasite that needs to die so that we can finally be together again…we can finally be happy."

"He's not the problem, Scourge; you are!" Scourge's ruby eyes shot up towards me, their lividness stopping for a split moment. He crinkled his eyebrows together. "You're the reason we can't be together…the reason we can't be happy. Don't you see that? Don't you see what you're doing? You're hurting me by hurting the people I love! If you were understanding and considerate then maybe-"

"Understanding," he snapped. "Considerate?" He shot up off of Sonic and immediately was in front of me. "Do you not see what I've done for you? Do you not see all of the effort I've put into trying to get you back? Do you not see my rank or my accomplishments – everything of which I did for you so that you would be safe to be here! Can't you appreciate anything I've done for you!" His ruby eyes were completely livid now, his mouth curled into a deep scowl.

"No," I said firmly. "Not when you show them like this." He growled. I glanced behind him to see Sonic throwing Adrian one of his guns. My boyfriend was now on his feet, though a bit slumped over, his rifle pointed at Scourge's head. Before he could shoot, Scourge had sped away from me and punched Sonic right in his head. I heard the sound of the crack as his skull seemed to bust open. The sound caused me to flinch. "Scourge, no!"

"Shut the hell up," Scourge yelled back. Adrian tried to shoot at Scourge but Scourge was too fast. He kicked the gun out of my brother's hand and kicked him in the stomach so hard that he hit the bookshelf. The books fell on top of him after he hit the ground. My eyes went to Sonic who was barely standing on his feet. He seemed to be struggling to keep his balance as well as keep his eyes open. His eyes were halfway closed, their vibrant green color dulling from all the pain. Scourge turned his attention back to him. "You…mortal…you die here," he growled at my boyfriend. I yelled out his name as a seemingly green flame formed in Scourge's hand. He threw it at Sonic, hitting him right in the stomach. The flames immediately began to consume him as the impact sent him into the nearest wall. While he didn't seem to be burning, I could see his body shaking slightly from whatever pain was being inflicted upon him. As his body fell to the ground, the flames slowly disappeared.

"Sonic," I yelled as I sped up to him the best I could in the heels. I knelt down beside his wounded body and put my ear to his chest. My heart sunk as I realized that I couldn't hear a heartbeat. Tears immediately fell from my eyes as I continued to call his name and shake him, willing for his heart to continue beating. "Don't die on me. Please don't die on me," I pleaded. I stroked his seemingly sleeping face. "Please don't go away. I need you, okay. You've gotta pull through for me. You've gotta wake up," I told him between my tears.

"Leave him be," I heard Scourge say. "He deserved to die. He was the last obstacle standing in our way. Now, we can…we can finally be together." My broken, bleeding heart stopped for a moment at the sound of Scourge's voice. Instantly, I felt a strong fiery rage fill my veins, making me hot in my dress. I felt my eyes begin to turn red as my blood boiled. I slowly stood up, letting my own purple bolts form into my hand, willing it to go to as much power as it possibly could. I turned around to face Scourge who was staring at me expectantly, his hand held out to me.

"We will never be together," I growled putting emphasis on every word. Scourge raised an eyebrow.

"Don't test me," he warned.

"No, Scourge, it's you who shouldn't have tested me." I raised my hand. "Go to hell, you bastard," I said as I released a long purple bolt out of my hand. It hit Scourge quickly, surrounding him in the color as it burned away at his body. I had only held up the bolt for about thirty seconds but it held enough power to kill him. My anger towards him for killing the one I loved fed into its power and that anger was more than strong enough to kill an entire army. His screams were the last thing out of him before the color flew away and revealed the pile of ash that he had become. I didn't have time to truly dwell on what I'd done before I knelt back down to my poor boyfriend. Adrian, who had dug himself out of the pile of books, came to my side.

"Is he dead," he asked. I once again put my head against his chest only to hear silence. Tears brimmed my eyes once more as my rage simmered down. The sadness that took over my body was much more powerful than the anger I'd felt towards Scourge. I loved Sonic. I loved him so much… I buried my face in his unmoving chest as some of my tears fell. Adrian put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. "Amy, I know you probably don't want to hear this but…there is another option…" I looked up at Adrian to see his mouth in a small frown. "You once said that it was a gift. He may not ask for it but he needs it…you need it…"

"He'll never forgive me if I do," I murmured.

"You'll never forgive yourself if you let him die," Adrian countered. "Do it; do it for the both of your sakes." I stared at him for a second before looking down at my boyfriend's beautiful face. I stroked his cheek as I spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," I whispered. I kissed his still warm lips before dipping my head down to his neck. I let my fangs sharpen, the venom filling into the saliva that came out with them. I didn't hesitate as I sunk my teeth into his neck and pushed for the venom to fill the vein I had bitten into. Some of his sweet blood got into my mouth but I ignored the taste. I continued to bite harder, trying to send as much venom as I possibly could into his body. I didn't stop until I heard one small beat of his heart, signaling that the venom had reached it. Then I pulled away and stroked his face. "I'm so sorry," I murmured again.

The hunters won their battle against the Bana and freed all the guardian warriors they could find. How? I wasn't completely sure. By the time Adrian and I carried Javier's body out to the hallway, there were hunters waiting by to fill us in on the news and take us home. They took Sonic's body away from us first, promising to get him to the infirmary station back in Orlando. Our parents were waiting with the hunters, both with cuts, bruises and thankful smiles to see that we were alive. My mother hugged me so tight that I thought she was going to break my little body. Adrian actually welcomed a hug from Richard, letting him squeeze him as hard as he could. "Thank you," Adrian whispered to him. Richard patted his back in reply.

I teleported our family back to the safe station that the hunters had described to me. It was a big silver business building on the outskirts of Orlando with multiple floors. Most of the rooms had big open windows that looked over the city and a bit of the beach – or at least the rooms my family were in had that. My mother had made me change into a pair of shorts, sneakers, and a crop top before going anywhere else. She understood that I wanted to check on Sonic but she wanted me to just relax for a minute before I did. So, I tried to do just that.

After I changed my clothes, I lay down on the bed in the room the hunters had given me. My mother had left one of my photo albums on the dresser for me to look through. She thought that it would do me some good to review my old life before I fully moved on with my new one. She explained that she wanted me to go to college and make a career and have a life of my own. She wanted the same for Adrian. While he didn't exactly look college aged, she promised she would find some strings to pull to see that he did and so he wouldn't have to live in high school forever. She wanted for both of us to be successful and happy…just as our biological mother did.

So, for the last time, I flipped through my old pictures. I reminisced over my late best friend who stuck by my side through thick and thin. I remembered the annoying little brother who used to do everything he could to get on my last nerve. I admired my parents who loved and supported their children with all of their hearts. I almost fell in love again with my first love. I almost fell for his charming smile, his bright blue eyes, and his charismatic personality. I almost longed for my old life back. With my memories restored, looking over the photos brought back every moment of when they had been taken. I could remember taking family Christmas pictures, doing stupid things with my friends, and going to prom with my boyfriend. I could remember what it had been like to be Amy Rose. I could remember the sassy, smart, sweetheart of a girl that I used to be. But I didn't wish to be her again. Instead I just appreciated the person she was and how she had transformed into the person I had become. She had lived a good life and now I would lead a new one of my own.

When I closed the little photo album, I would admit that I had shed a few tears. I had lost so many people in those photos – people who had meant so much to me at one point at time. My biological parents who had gotten caught in the cross-fire of war trying to protect their children, my best friend whose righteous actions had gotten her life taken away from her, and my first love who lost himself and was unwillingly turned into a person I knew on the inside he didn't want to be. I didn't hate Scourge. Yes, I killed him but I didn't hate him. Instead, I pitied him. His attacker had been a random vampire set out to do his job which cost him his whole identity. He didn't want to be the person he was but the vampire genes inside of him made him that way. Yet, he never showed that evil side to me. All he ever wanted out of this life was for the two of us to be together. I pitied the fact that he would never get his wish and I felt bad that I had taken his life. I didn't, however, regret the action I'd taken. He would've killed me, Sonic, and Adrian at the rate he was going on that day. His mind would've seen me as an obstacle and he would've done something he would regret. It was better that he was in a better place…I hoped.

Once I was done with the photo album, I walked out of my room to seek out Sonic. The first person I ran into was Cream who happily led me to the infirmary. "Are you alright," she asked as we walked through the sun filled building.

"I'll be okay. Thank you for asking," I told her. She nodded.

"If you ever need anything, I'm still here for you. I haven't checked on Sonic so I don't know how he's doing. The hunters know what you've done to him…"

"Are they angry?"

"His father isn't, that's the only thing that matters. He may hate vampires just as much as Sonic does but you saved his life and he can live with his son being a vampire rather than his son having been killed by one."

"Yea, now I can only hope Sonic will be able to see that."

"He will. He may need some time but he will." She gave my hand a squeeze. "Just be patient with him." I nodded.

"Thank you, Cream." She gave me a soft hug as we reached the door to the infirmary. I almost didn't want to let her go. Her warm, comforting hug made my still healing heart feel a bit better. She offered me a soft smile before holding the door open to the infirmary for me. I thanked her again as I walked in.

Immediately, my nose caught the scent of the blood of the wounded hunters. I glanced around to see many closed doors to rooms that held the bloody mortals. The sound of their soft moans of pain as the underwent different operations filled my ears as I continued to walk down the hallway. My nose picked up the familiar scent of peaches and sandalwood, causing my heart to beat quicker. I followed the scent to a room all the way in the back of the infirmary. Sally was standing outside the door, dressed in an outfit similar to mine but with less fabric – her signature look. She straightened up as she saw me. "Is he okay," I asked her.

"He'll be fine," Sally said. "Go see him; he's been asking for you."

"Thanks," I told her. I reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. Sonic was laying on the bed, dressed in only a pair of sweatpants. His tanned skin was completely clear of the bruises and other wounds that were on him before. In fact, his skin seemed to be perfectly clear of any blemishes at all. His eyes were closed, his lips in a soft line. His stomach was moving up and down to the rhythm of his breathing, a soft heartbeat sounding from his chest. Despite that though, I could sense his new vampire status. I understood why he could've thought I was human before though. The vampire scent is so low that you could barely sense it.

As I walked towards his bed, I noticed the container of food as well as the few empty bottles of blood sitting on the counter beside his bed. A soft smile came upon my lips at the sight. He was a vampire like me. We were the same race. Thank God. I hadn't even thought of him turning into a Bana or anything. The only thought I had was that I had to save his life. At least I knew that he was going to be okay.

I cautiously lay down next to him on the bed, trying not to wake him. I put my hand on his bicep, tracing his familiar muscles. The slight touch caused him to jerk awake, his green eyes flicking around the room frantically. They landed on me and I saw some anger flash through them. Before he could speak, I put my hand on his chest to lift myself up and press my lips against his. He stiffened under my sudden kiss but as I continued to mold my lips with his, he began to relax. His arm wrapped around my waist, pushing my chest and torso down against his. His other hand traveled up into my hair as his lips began to respond back to mine. My heart exploded with the love I felt for him as we kissed. I could feel the butterflies travel from my heart down to my toes, my heart beating a million times a minute.

"I'm pissed at you," he murmured against our kisses.

"Be pissed at me later," I replied. "Right now, just kiss me."

"With pleasure," he replied as he continued to mold my lips with his.

**Review if you wish **


	26. Sometimes Happy Endings Do Happen

**Last chapter guys!**

**All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.**

**Chapter 25: Sometimes Happy Endings Do Happen After All **

Sonic wasn't exactly too happy with me when we finally got done kissing. He yelled at me for a complete two hours about how he would've been fine and how I didn't have to go on to such drastic measures and how he wished I wouldn't have acted so quickly and how I should've thought more seriously and blah blah blah. I didn't really pay much attention as he yelled at me. I was too busy staring at his beautiful face and thanking God that he was going to be okay.

When he was finally done yelling at me, he had asked me what we were going to do next. I had merely smiled at him and told him that we had an eternity full of possibilities. Sonic didn't seem to quite understand at first but after a moment, his lips pulled into a smile and he kissed me for another few hours.

That following fall, he, me, and Adrian all began going to school at the University of Miami. Sonic and I had brought an apartment close to the school while Adrian wanted to live on campus. He became best friends with his roommate who also happened to be a fellow guardian warrior and got himself a new girlfriend – who happened to be a Chrestotes. She was a pretty girl with big brown eyes, chestnut hair, and a curvy body. While Adrian was still a bit hung up on Olivia and her death, he willed himself to move on. He knew that Olivia would want him to be happy. He went on study biochemistry and later went on to medical school. He stayed close by going to the medical school offered by the University of Miami and brought an apartment with his girlfriend. His best friend lived in the same building with them; he and his girlfriend always over there hanging out with them. Eventually, Adrian did marry the girl and they got their hands on a couple of young vampires to look after. Adrian was a great father figure – he was strict and playful but mostly strict. His foster vampire kids loved him nonetheless though.

My parents resided in Miami with all of us. They did end up sheltering a new sibling pair of young vampires who grew to look up to Adrian and I since we visited often. Our parents constantly invited us over for dinner and parties and everything. They tried to make the young vampires' lives as good as they could – especially since they were one of the traumatized ones who had been captured by the Bana. They restored the children's faith though. They showed them the love and compassion that they had shown Adrian and I, winning their hearts over just the same.

Sonic moved on away from his mortal life. While he did keep in touch with his father, Cream, and Tails, he tried not to be too much in their lives. He knew they would all eventually pass away and he wasn't sure if he could handle that pain knowing that he would have to continue going on without them. However, we did attend Cream and Tails' wedding and their first baby's christening – well we had to since we were the god parents – and stayed active friends in their lives. I will admit that watching them grow old as we stayed the same felt a bit strange and a bit sad. Cream had become one of my good friends and I couldn't imagine living life without her. However, I knew that her little daughter who was like her twin was living up to be just as good a friend to me. She called me "auntie" and Cream loved to have us babysit her whenever she and Tails were in Miami. The same went for their other two children. I think Sonic and I actually waited on children for so long because we had Cream and Tails' a good amount of the time.

Sonic did follow his dreams though. He finished college with a solid 4.0 GPA and continued on to law school. There, he studied criminal law for both defense and prosecution. He graduated at the top of his class and quickly got a job at one of the well-known law firms in Miami. He loved his job and he was proud of his accomplishments. While he didn't age, he did keep up with makeup – as Adrian did – to make himself look the age he was trying to be. No one really noticed much in Miami though since he was constantly moving around and such. However, he did make quite a name for himself there. He became one of the best lawyers the state of Florida had ever seen.

I followed my own nursing career and got a job in the children's hospital. While the job could get pretty heart wrecking at times, I enjoyed being around the children and helping them out with whatever they needed – whether it was medicine or a little bit of fun time. The kids all loved me as I loved them. I made sure to give them my address when they were discharged in which they constantly sent me homemade cards on the holidays and an occasional gift card from their parents. The cards always made my day whenever I received them. Sometimes I would be cheesing so hard that Sonic would ask if he was having some competition with a six year old that had broken his leg. I would always roll my eyes and kiss him and tell him that there was no competition from where I was standing.

Sonic and I's relationship blossomed beautifully as the years went on. When we first moved in together, I will admit that we did have a few problems – as do all couples when they first move in together. We would constantly argue over stupid things and then make love when we got tired of yelling at each other. However, we got over that period after a year or two and our arguments became a once a month occasion instead of a once or twice of week routine. We would've gotten over the hump quicker if Sonic would've grown up and realized that just because we had all eternity with each other didn't mean that we could take forever to adjust to things that normal couples would do within a few months. But of course he had to bask in our normal relationship problems.

Anyway, once we handled that problem, our relationship got better. On the weekends, Sonic would take me to dinner and clubs and a few parties so that we could get out of our apartment and explore around. He went through a lot of shopping trips without complaining – something of which I still praise him for. Sometimes, though, when we didn't feel like going out, we'd camp out on the floor with blankets and junk food and just watch movies. On the weekdays, we'd eat our cereal on the floor and make fun of our professors. He usually got home before me at night so he would always make me dinner and have a bath ready for me. When I did get home, he'd eat dinner with me then take a bath with me and then give me a massage before I passed out on him. Sometimes making love did equate itself into the routine but we were both so busy that sometimes we were just too tired for that.

Every summer, we traveled together. We would take road trips across the country with Cream and Tails. We'd fly across the world to Europe and China and South America to visit somewhere new every summer. We tried to keep things new as we traveled but we did have our favorite destinations that we made a necessity to go at least every other summer. I fell in love with London and Paris while Sonic liked Hawaii and Brazil a bit more. We constantly took pictures and got souvenirs from wherever we went. Every summer was a memorable one.

However, when Sonic started to go to law school and I began my nursing career, problems between us started to arise. At first, I wasn't sure where the tension had come from. For some reason, both of us were stressed and irritated all the time – so much to the point that we were arguing whenever we saw each other. Little did we know, however, that we were just having a hard time handling our new routines. After a couple of months of the constant arguing, I made Sonic sit down with me and really try to erase whatever tension was going on. We didn't like fighting with each other and neither of us wanted to end our relationship over stupid bickering. So, we talked about what was going on and got all of our stress off our shoulders. That night, we actually made love for the first time in what seemed like forever and I felt close to him again – something I hadn't felt during that time period.

About a year after Sonic graduated from law school, he proposed to me at Disney World. We were down in Orlando for the summer to visit our friends and he suggested we spend a day down at the park. I had agreed and we spent the day going on rides and buying souvenirs. Then, just as we were watching the fireworks in front of the Cinderella Castle, one of the sparks read "Amy, will you marry me?" up against the sky. I had been confused by the sight at first until I looked down at Sonic to see that he had gotten on to one knee and was holding up a beautiful diamond ring to me. The diamond wasn't overly huge but it was pretty big and cut in the shape of a heart. The band was in the shape of a twist with smaller diamonds on one line of the twist. I thought the ring was absolutely beautiful as were the fireworks. I couldn't help but to cry and say yes to his proposal.

The following year that ensued turned me into a complete bridezilla. I wanted my wedding to be absolutely perfect since I would have the pictures to last literally forever. Cream and my mother helped me find a beautiful church in Miami that resembled a castle. We decorated the church with lavender and white flowers and other various decorations on the day of the wedding. By the time we were done, it looked like a beautiful wonderland of white, lavender, and some soft touches of pale pink. I struggled with finding the perfect wedding dress by my mother and Cream once again helped me out with that. They took me out shopping to every dress store possible in which I found the perfect dress in a small dress store on one of the shopping strips. The dress had a sweetheart cut with a low dip between my breasts with a top that fit snugly against my curves and my small waist. The sleeves of the dress were translucent with lace around my neck and around my arms, creating an illusion of a bare chest above my breasts. At my waist, the dress fell out into a beautiful skirt that held a cover fabric of the same translucent lace above the pure white heavier fabric. The dress fit me perfectly and I instantly fell in love with it. My mother brought it for me and told me that I was going to make a beautiful bride.

On my actual wedding day, I was an absolute mess. I was trying to make sure everything was in order with my bridesmaids and their lavender dresses, the caterers, the reception hall, and everything else. Sonic and I weren't having a big wedding but we'd accumulated a lot more friends than we thought who we just had to invite and plus Sonic's family wanted to come and that was a big group of people… So, there was a lot I had to make sure was perfect. Cream had to stop me from ripping one of the florists' throats out when they made a mistake on the flower girl's flowers. She told me to calm down, get dressed and that she would handle everything. Then she headed off in her elegant pale pink dress to talk to the florist. I let one of my college friends help me put on my dress and do my hair and makeup. Her name was Rouge and she had become my best friend over the college years. She was the runner up to maid of honor but of course, Cream coped that position. She was beautiful with tanned skin, a strong city accent, and light waterfalls of hair. She reminded me of Blaze at times – one of the reasons why I think I loved her so much. She turned me into a beautiful goddess that day. She curled my pink hair and pulled it up into an elegant updo before setting my makeup with neutral colors and whites and pinks. I looked beautiful by the time she was done with me.

Everyone in the church shared the same opinion when Richard walked me down the aisle. As I walked, I could hear everyone's thoughts gushing about how beautiful I looked – including Sonic. While his face said it all, his thoughts were saying a lot more. He looked good in his black tux and his small pink boutonniere. He had cut his blue hair down and had it pushed back away from his face. I couldn't help but to smile at him and send him a teasing mental image. He smiled wider at me and sent me one back – one that made me wish I could skip the reception and go right on to the honeymoon with him.

The ceremony was a beautiful, peaceful one while the party was a bit more crazy. A good amount of our guests got drunk but Sonic and I didn't mind. We were too high on our own bliss to worry about everyone else. In our minds, we were married and that's all we wanted to think about. I danced with him almost all night, holding him close and praising my decision to change him. Now the promise of forever I'd given him during our vows could truly be real. I really could love him till the end of time.

The next two decades or so went by peacefully, Sonic and I continuing with our routines and just falling even more in love with each other. Then, we got an unexpected gift called a child. To this day, I'm still not sure when I got pregnant but I do remember throwing up constantly and having Sonic take me to the hospital. Nine months later, we were holding our baby boy in our arms. He looks just like Sonic now with his blue curls, dark caramel skin, and almond shaped eyes. However, he was graced with my emerald orbs – as was our daughter who came two years after him. She was my splitting image with her pink hair, tanned skin, and even her sweet smile. Their names are Miguel Christian Rodriguez and Arielle Grace Rodriguez. They are Sonic and I's pride and joy.

Right now, they're lying on the couch with their daddy watching their favorite movie. Before I sat down to write this down, Arielle was laying in Sonic's lap while Miguel was sitting next to him, trying to mimic the way his father was sitting. Right now, Miguel is seven while Arielle is five. They age like normal children although they are far from normal. They have powers and crave blood and everything else. Sonic and I treat them as if they're normal though. We send them to school and encourage them to have friends and to be nice and to be happy.

The other day, Arielle actually asked me how I became different. She wanted to know the entire story but I told her that it was a long story to tell. "Write it down," she told me in her soft, young voice. "Write it all down so you don't forget. Write it all down so that one day Miguel and I can know you and daddy's story. Write it down so that one day we can know the real mommy and daddy." So I did just that.

While I remember my past life now, I recorded all of my new life instead. Why? My daughter wanted to know who her daddy and I are – not who we were. I didn't want her to know the Amy Rose I used to be. I want her to know the Amy Rose-Rodriguez that I am now. I want her to know the lost girl who woke up in a new life with no memories of her past, the hopeless romantic who fell head over heels in love with the mortal she was once destined to protect, the strong girl who overcame the past and made use of the present. I want her to know who I am though I will forever be in her life. I want her to know that happy endings don't always happen to princesses. I want her know that her happy ending is out there. I want her to know that it's okay to make the most of the world: fall in love, travel, make mistakes, fight for what you love, and follow your dreams. I want her to know that her destiny is out there and I know in my heart that she has the strength to find her purpose and make the world her own. If I could do it, I know she can too.

**Thank you to all my readers who have stood by this story since the day I published it and to all of the ones who have stumbled upon it and stuck around for the ride. This is going to be possibly my last story for a while; I'm going on a little hiatus from fanfiction to really work on a new manuscript for a novel. This actually was my first novel manuscript (with the exception of the names). The next is actually a rewrite of The Black Wings that I've been playing around with. I'll be around with advice and even just for a chat if you guys want to PM me or anything while I'm taking this little break. Thanks to all of my faithful readers and I will see you guys on the flip side! **


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